his Attorney-General to bring in an Appeal to the next General Council against all the injustices receiv'd or which for the future might be to be fear'd from the Pope's partiality This kind of Appeal when founded upon just reasons making void and ineffectual all the Church Censures intended against this Act the King could not have pitch'd upon a more Prudent and Commodious expedient to prevent the Popes future resolutions of hurting him or at least to take away the means of puting them in Execution He publish'd at the same time a Manifesto In Sept. 1688. containing the reasons which had oblig'd him to take up Arms once more and as his chief design was rather to be upon the defensive than to act offensively against his Enemies the said Manifesto had much more resemblance to a new project of Peace than to a Declaration of War For the King proposed To put an end to the differences in Hand by an amicable composition in reference to the Succession in dispute concerning the Fiefs in the Palatinate He offer'd to demolish Friburgh and Philipsbourg after he should become Master of the last provided the Emperor and Empire would agree on their side to convert the twenty Years Truce into a Peace and would leave the Cardinal of Furstemburgh in the quiet possession of the Archbishoprick and the Chapter of Cologne in the enjoyment of their Rights and Privileges To back these pretensions by the force of his Arms Philipsburgh taken in 1688 he order'd a good Army to advance towards Philipsburgh which was besieged by the Dauphin on the sixth of October This being the first time that the Prince appear'd at the head of an Army in the Field he gave such eminent proofs both of his Valour and Conduct in this Campaign which lasted not above six Weeks that thereby he gain'd the esteem of the whole French Army There were many difficulties to be surmounted in this Siege the far advanc'd Season continual Rains and situation of the Place which was surrounded with marshy Grounds and the resolution of the Governor who defended himself with great bravery were such obstacles as seem'd to render the success of this Enterprise very doubtful But the Place being destitute of all hopes of relief and not in a condition to resist any longer the fury of our Bombs and vigorous Attacks was forc'd to Capitulate on the twenty ninth of October and the Dauphin celebrated his Birth-day three Days after being the first of November by his Solemn Entry into the Place During the Siege of Philipsburgh the King reiterated his former instances for the conclusion of a Peace in hopes that these lightnings being the fore-runners of those thunder-claps that threatned the adjacent Countries might serve as a warning to the Confederates But finding all his endeavours in vain and fore-seeing he must prepare himself to sustain a long War he order'd the Dauphin to make himself Master of the whole Palatinate The Conquest of the Palatinate in 1688. by the Conquest of the strong Fortresses of Manheim and Frankendal and at the same time sent several flying Armies towards Spires Mayence Treves and Wormes to take possession of these places by which means he did not question but to oblige the Enemies either to accept of a Peace or at least to put them under a necessity of regaining these places with vast charges and great loss of their Men which had only cost him the trouble of being seiz'd upon by his Troops AN ESSAY UPON THE HISTORY OF THE REIGN OF LEWIS the GREAT LIB V. THE whole German Empire was extreamly alarm'd at these Conquests made by our King's Forces but they were so far from being cast down at their loss that on the contrary they seem'd to have assum'd new Courage each Circle in particular dreading the neighbourhood of so potent a Prince strove to out-vye the other in making new Levies with great expedition without entring upon the dispute as they us'd to do formerly about the Quota each of them was to furnish for the defence of the Empire All the Electors and Princes of Germany not excepting even the Elector of Bavaria declar'd unanimously against France notwithstanding the Sister of the last was Married to the Dauphin He had signaliz'd himself upon several occasions in Hungary and was now resolv'd to maintain his Brother in the Archbishoprick of Cologne besides that he was flatter'd with the hopes of Succession in Spain These Obligations were so prevailing with this Prince that contrary to the Maxim practis'd in the House of Bavaria for many Years past to balance the power of the House of Austria he became one of the Heads and the most passionate adherents to the Confederacy It is scarce possible to be conceiv'd that so many Sovereigns as compose the German Empire should be sway'd by the same interest The whole Empire declares against France and be all of the same opinion the more since History can scarce furnish us with an instance for many Ages past when they have been thus united in one League especially in espousing the Emperor's Quarrel it being look'd upon as one of the fundamental Maxims to maintain the Liberty of the Empire rather to diminish than to favour the designs and growing power of their Emperors It appear'd to most Politicians a thing the most improbable in the World to see these Princes so forward in running themselves in a War the benefit whereof would only redound to the Emperor whilst they in the mean while disinabled themselves to resist his power when at any time hereafter he should meet with a favourable juncture to fall upon them Notwithstanding the conjunction of the forces of Germany the Emperor and Empire scarce thinking themselves strong enough to resist the King 's Victorious Arms without further supplies they made their applications to all the Princes of Europe even the King of Poland and to the other Northern Princes who by their vast distance feem'd to have but little concerns in the affairs of those parts of Europe The Swiss Cantons were more than once sollicited to enter into the Confederacy or at least to grant a free passage to their Troops But as they did not fear their threats so they rejected all their advantageous offers persisting in their resolution to keep an exact neutrality according to the examples of their Ancestors who thereby drew the Money of the neighbouring Countries into their Country and made themselves to be esteemed and courted by the most powerful Princes of Europe among all the Princes of Italy tho' there were very few but what were glad to see a check put to the King's power yet not one declar'd against us except Victor Amadeus II. the present Duke of Savoy The Glorious Name of being Generalissimo over a great Army which the Confederates had promis'd to send to his assistance the fair prospect of enriching himself by the great subsidies from England and Holland the hopes of having a share in the Conquests
Hollanders fighting like Lions we took one of their Ships of sixty Guns another was sunk and a third burnt besides there were twelve more of their best Ships so much disabled in their Masts and Riggings that not being able to carry them off they were forc'd to sink and to burn them The Count de Tourville pursu'd them for two days after and would in all probability have destroy'd their whole Fleet if the Wind had not turn'd against him which gave the Enemy opportunity to bring the rest of their Ships into a place of security This disgrace put the Enemies into no small consternation forasmuch as they had flatter'd themselves that they were much superiour to us at Sea and that no body hitherto had been bold enough to dispute with them the Sovereignty of the Sea The Prince of Orange King Willian III. laying the cause of this disaster to the mismanagement of the English Admiral he was tryed and acquitted of what was laid to his charge But whilst the English and Dutch made heavy complaints on both sides laying the loss of the Battle at one anothers Doors the French obtain'd another signal Victory about five Weeks after being the eighteenth Day of August For the Spanish Auxiliaries Defeat of the Duke of Savoy with a good Body of Imperial Troops having joyn'd the Duke of Savoy he took the Field and after several marches and counter-marches encamped boldly within sight of the French Army being cover'd on the Right by a large Wood on the Left by boggy Grounds and having in the Front a small Rivulet Both the Armies were near equal in number that of the Allies being Commanded under the Duke of Savoy by some of their best Officers The Sieur de Catinat Commander in Chief of the French in those parts appear'd the first time in this Campaign at the Head of a great Army He was descended from a Family that ow'd its Off-spring to the Gown but by his many Services render'd himself not inferiour to any of our age that have rais'd their Families by the Sword This wise General having taken a view of and found a passage thro' the Boggs attack'd the Enemy on that side with incredible bravery that their left Wing was brought immediately into confusion the right Wing held it out for some time after but being likewise broken at last a great slaughter ensued most of their Infantry being cut to pieces and their Cavalry sav'd themselves by repassing the River Po leaving the Field and their whole Artillery except one piece of Cannon which was thrown into the River with I all their Ammunition and many Colours and Standards to the mercy of the Enemy Four thousand of them were kill'd upon the spot whereas on our side we had not above an hundred and fifty dead and four hundred wounded Men. The Conquest of Savoy which with some part of Piedmont submitted immediately after to our King was the first Fruit of this Victory For Saluzzas open'd its Gates the very next Day after the Battle The Town and Castle of Suza surrender'd soon after so that we remained Masters of the Field and all the flat Country till the time of withdrawing our Forces for the conveniency of our Winter-Quarters As we had been successful even beyond hopes near the Alps so there pass'd nothing of moment near the Rhine the Germans being very careful in avoiding an Engagement For no sooner had they receiv'd intelligence that the Dauphin had passed the Rhine but they intrench'd themselves so strongly on the other side the River Neckar that it was impossible to force them in their Post or to bring them to an Engagement Thus this Campaign would have prov'd as successful as any since the beginning of the War if the French Troops in Ireland under the Command of the King of England had met with the same success on that side For after the Prince of Orange King William III. Battle fought in Ireland near the Boyne in July had taken a resolution to pass over into that Island in Person to reduce it to his Obedience he gave Battle to the Irish within twenty Days after his arrival near the River Boyne Seven thousand French seconded by the Irish Horse who behav'd themselves very well sustain'd for some time the whole power of the Enemy but the Irish Foot being immediately brought into confusion the rest were entirely routed The loss of this battle put the whole Kingdom into such a consternation that the King of England not thinking himself secure there immediately repass'd the Seas and arriv'd safely at Brest The Marshal and Duke of Schomberg who had acquir'd immortal Glory whilst he was in our King's Service was kill'd in the Engagement His obstinate perseverance in the Calvinism had oblig'd him to quit France and to engage himself in the Service of the Prince of Orange King William III. who also receiv'd a slight hurt About five Weeks after the Battle he besieg'd Limerick The Garrison of the Town consisted of near six thousand French under the Command of Monsieur de Boisleleau Captain of our King's Guards who had after the last Engagement thrown themselves into the Place The Siege was carried on with the utmost Vigour but by the bravery of the Garrison and the help of fresh Supplies brought into the Place together with the scarcity of Forage continual Rains and sickness that had infected the Camp the Prince of Orange King William III. was oblig'd to raise the Siege After his return into England he appli'd all his care to make the necessary preparations for sending a considerable Body of his Troops into Flanders Campaign in 1691. and to appear at the Head of them in Person for fear least some of the Allies might in his absence enter upon a separate Treaty with France He was met at the Hague by the Electors of Bavaria and Brandenburgh by the Landtgraves of Hesse three Dukes of the House of Brunswick Congress at the Hague besides thirty other Princes by the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands the Emperor's Envoy those of Spain and several other Electors and of the Duke of Savoy and all the General Officers who were at this Council of War to concert measures concerning the operations of the next Campaign But whilst they spent their time in debates they receiv'd the unexpected News that the City of Mons had been invested by the French on the fifteenth of March and that the King was expected in the Camp by the twentieth or one and twentieth of the same Month. This sudden News like a Thunderclap dispers'd the whole Congress Most of the Princes there present return'd straightways into their respective Countries either because they did not think it convenient to be Spectators of the taking of the Place or to hasten their Troops to march to the relief of it The City of Mons is situate upon a rising ground surrounded with Boggs and consequently strong both by Art and Nature It is a very large
passable by the Bridges made by the dead Carcasses of Men and Horses This vast Army was dispersed in such a manner that they could not get together in a Body again till six days after when being reinforced with fresh Troops and especially with the Detachment commanded by the Prince of Wirtembergh they appear'd again in the Field It is to be taken notice of here that since the beginning of this War our King had ordered certain Lines or Entrenchments to be made from Mabeuge to the Sea-side to serve as a Barricado to cover his Conquests on that side The Duke of Wirtembergh having been detached from the main Army with a Body three times stronger than the French that guarded these Lines to attack them had forced these Entrenchments and was just then preparing to ravage the Country when receiving the News of this Defeat he was forced to turn back in order to join with all speed the Prince of Orange King William III. Within two Months after Victory of Marsaglia the 4 October the Marshal de Catinat obtained another no less compleat but less bloody Victory over the Confederate Army in Italy under the Command of the Duke of Savoy The said Marshal's Army had hitherto been much inferior in Number to the Allies which was the Reason that he had not undertaken any thing of moment but only to observe the Enemies Motions and to harress them with Marches and Countermarches The Duke and Spaniards willing to improve this Opportunity resolved to besiege Pignerol but being discouraged by the Resistance they met with in the Taking of St. Brigitt which being built but a Year before at some distance from the Town commanded the chief Avenues leading to it and had held out fifteen days before it was taken they altered their Resolutions contenting themselves with throwing a vast number of Bombs and red hot Bullets into the Place Whilst they were flattering themselves with the hopes of either reducing or destroying the City of Pignerol by Fire Messengers after Messengers came to bring the sad News to the Duke of Savoy that not only the French had burnt one of his Country Houses but that also the Marshal de Catinat having received a Considerable Reinforcement had made himself Master of the Plains The Duke immediately directing his March towards those Plains he was met by the Marshal The Battle began about nine a Clock in the Forenoon the right Wing of the Enemy was brought into confusion at the first Encounter the left follow'd not long after the Example of the right Wing yet they Rallyed and return'd to the Charge twice or thrice but without any great Effect for their Cavalry being entirely routed the rest were cut to pieces except those who saved themselves by flight and to fly with the less Inconveniency threw away their Arms enough to Arm sixteen thousand Men. The flying Enemy were pursued to the very Gates of Turin the whole Plain being covered with dead Carcasses and in some places with entire Battallions especially of the Spaniards and Hugonots The Enemies lost nine thousand Men in this Engagement besides two thousand taken Prisoners a hundred Colours forty five Standards and thirty four pieces of Cannon We had twelve or fifteen hundred killed and wounded on our side The Gens d'Arms behaved themselves to a miracle Our Infantry fought with their Bayonets in their Fuszees and Sword in hand After the Loss of this Battle the Duke being reinforced with the German Troops that block'd up Casal yet durst not appear in the Field so that the Marshal de Catinat without opposition over-run all the flat Country and carried away a prodigious quantity of Provision The King received the News of this Victory and of the Surrender of Charleroy in one day This place is situate betwixt Mons and Namur and was besieged in November when the Prince of Orange K. William III. was just ready to pass over into England Siege of Charleroy but upon the News of this Siege return'd into Flanders and advanced with an Army as far as Brussels but did not attempt the Relief of the Place which tho' considerable for its strength was forced to surrender in six and twenty days About the end of the same Month English Expedition against St. Malo an English Squadron was sent towards St. Malo to attempt the destruction of that Place not so much by their Bombs as a certain Engine by which they hoped to blow up that City or to lay it in Ashes This Engine was a three Deck'd-Ship of about four hundred Tuns lined and vaulted within with Brick-Work Betwixt each of these Decks there were placed many Barrels with Gun-powder mixt with a certain Composition of Tarr Pitch and Rosin a great number of Bombs Carcasses and other Casks fill'd with all sorts of Combustible Matter It was a fair and clear Night very calm and Spring-tide when this infernal Engine came swimming up with the Tide but by good Fortune was forced upon a Rock within Pistol-shot of the Walls of the City The Engineer who had the management of this Vessel perceiving that she took Water was so over-hasty in setting her on Fire that both He and his Attendants were blown up in the same moment before they had time to get out of reach The springing of this Engine made a most dreadful Noise and shook all the circumjacent Ground for three or four Leagues The whole City felt a most violent Confusion and in a moment all the Streets were covered with Slates and Tyles which like a Shower of Hail powred down from the tops of the Houses This was the whole Loss sustained by this dreadful Engine which carried along with it more Terror than Damage there being not one House in the whole City that receiv'd any further Damage neither was there one single Person kill'd or wounded For the Powder having taken vent and being besides that spoil'd by the Water did not answer the pretended Effect in throwing the Bombs and Barrels full of Combustible Matter into the Air. At low Water near seven hundred Bombs were taken up from the Sands and abundance of Powder out of the Wrack of the Vessel We could scarce have wish'd for a more prosperous Campaign on our side than the last Campaign in 1694. but as there is no human Felicity without some mixture of Adversity so when the State suffers within all its outward Prosperity appears to be but superficial I say we could not have wished for a more glorious Campaign if a general Scarcity had not almost ruined several Provinces in the Kingdom but especially the City of Paris with the circumjacent Parts France is a very fertile Country abounding especially in Wheat so as to be able to furnish its Neighbours with a considerable Quantity of this useful Commodity which for several years before had been so cheap that the common People liv'd easie enough tho' by reason of the long War and the decay of Trade there was but slender Gain
the Motions of their Army that he enclosed them betwixt the Mountains and their Entrenchment where without striking a Stroak they lost more Men than they could have done in an Engagement In Italy the Marshal de Catinat appear'd in the Field with a very numerous Army composed of some of our best Troops the King having taken a resolution either to Conquer all the Country as yet remaining under the Obedience of the Duke of Savoy or to oblige that Prince to accept of a Peace So soon as the Enemy receiv'd Intelligence that the French were preparing to pass the Mountains they employ'd a great number of Workmen to cover the City of Turin against any Attempt by making strong Lines and Entrenchments they carried all the common Cattle into places of Security and by their Army and numerous Parties which they sent abroad every Day endeavour'd to hinder our Communication with Pignerol Our Army finding nothing else to subsist on but what they were supply'd with by our Convoys did suffer Extreamly in their March which was not very hasty we being at the same time in Treaty with the Duke of Savoy and upon the point of concluding it After the Breach of the Truce the King had in his Manifest sufficiently testified his Intention of Sacrificing all his Conquests to the re-establishment of the publick Tranquility and that he had not taken up Arms to enlarge his Frontiers but to defend himself against the Attempts of the Confederate Princes Upon the same score it was that both before the Siege of Philipsbourgh and after the reduction not only of that Place but also of the whole Palatinate he pressed the Allies to change the Truce made at Ratisbonne in the Year 1684. into a lasting Peace Upon the same account also after taking Villa Franca Nice and Montmelian he offer'd the Duke of Savoy to restore to him all the Conquests he had made on that side Casal being demolish'd since that time the Duke of Savoy's Inclinations began to bend strongly towards a Peace Peace is so desirable in it self that when offer'd ought not to be refus'd Happy is that Prince who knows how to improve such an Opportunity to his own Advantage 'T is true the Duke made some Preparations in the next Spring to Besiege Pignerol but his Intention was rather to oblige us to demolish it than to reduce it by force of Arms. He had Espoused one of the Daughters of the Duke of Orleance only Brother to our King who having no Daughters had Married the eldest of his Nieces to the King of Spain the second to the Duke of Savoy The Queen of Spain died without Issue but the Dutchess of Savoy had had three Princesses to one of these the King resolv'd to Marry the eldest of his Grandsons to renew by this Marriage the ancient Alliance betwixt France and the Duke of Savoy This Alliance and the present Advantage of removing these inconveniencies which attended the War at so great a distance made the King consent to the demolishing of Pignerol and to restore the Duke into the immediate Possession of all his Territories except Susa Nice and Montmelian which were to be left in the King's Hands till the Conclusion of the general Peace The Duke on the other Hand oblig'd himself by a separate Article Peace with the Duke of Savoy in August to propose to the Confederates a Neutrality in Italy and if they refused to accept of it to join his Forces with France to oblige them to it During the Treaty with Savoy the King had granted a Truce for one Month which afterwards was prolonged at the Request of the Pope and the rest of the Princes of Italy who were not willing to let slip this opportunity that offer'd to rid their hands of the German and other Forreign Forces But the Confederates were so far from accepting the Dukes Propositions that on the contrary they left no stone unturn'd by threats and Promises to perswade him to alter his Resolution But he stood immovable to all these Insinuations and the time of the Truce being expir'd Siege of Valenza join'd his Forces with those of our King 's who advanc'd towards the Milaneze Territories to form the Siege of Valenza The Marshal de Catinat Commanded both these Armies under the Duke of Savoy and the Trenches being opened before the Place towards the end of September we caried on our Works with such Success that the Place was just upon the point of Capitulating Neutrality for Italy when a Messenger arrived in the Camp on the ninth day of October with this agreeable News that at last the Ministers of the Emperor and Spain had accepted of the Neutrality the chiefest Conditions were That the Princes of Italy should allow a certain Sum to the Emperor to redeem the Winter-Quarters And that the German Forces should begin their March in order to return into their own Country the same day that the King's Army in Italy should return into France The King gain'd great Advantages by the Peace of Italy Thirty Thousand Men of his best Troops with a great General who had hitherto been Employed on that side might be made use of with much less Expence against the Enemy in another place which must needs oblige them then to make a Peace with us or to continue the War with more Vigour and greater Expences than before We reap'd also another Advantage by it which ought not to be pass'd by in Silence which was the Princess Maria Adalaida The Dutchess of Burgundy Eldest Daughter of Victor Amadeus II. Duke of Savoy and Anna Mariae of Orleance Spouse to the Duke of Burgundy After the Ratification of the Peace this Princess was conducted into France though the Consummation of the Marriage was deferr'd for fifteen Months longer She was all that time not quite Eleven Years of Age but shew'd such a vivacity of Wit and so much Conduct in all her Actions that she was the admiration of the whole Court the Duke of Burgundy being not then above fourteen years Maria Victoria of Bavaria Dauphine of France died in the Year 1690. in the Flower of her Age Death of the Dauphiness she was a Princess of Extraordinary Merit of a great Soul whose chiefest aim was to see the Princes her Sons Educated in the love of Vertue and glorious Actions Betwixt this Princess and Lewis Dauphin of France were begotten three Princes Lewis Duke of Burgundy born the eighth day of August in the year 1682. Philip The three sons of the Dauphin Duke of Anjou born on the 29th day of December in the Year 1683. and Charles Duke of Berry on the 31st of August in the Year 1684. Never had any Princes in the World more noble Education their generous Inclinations being improved not only by their Governour Paul Duke de Beauvilliers Saint Aignant and their Tutor Francis de Salignac Fenelon Archbishop of Cambray but also by the singular Care of the King and
Bishops of that Assembly p. 187 Is made Arbitrator by the King of the Succession in the Palatinate p. 195 Abolishes the Franchises of Quarters p. 190 Gives his Dispensation to Prince Clement of Bavaria p. 201 Interview of the French and Spanish Court p. 18 Invalides the Royal Hospital built near Paris p. 169 Ipres taken by the King p. 156 Ireland the King sends Succours into that Kingdom p. 214 L'Isle besieged by and surrendred to the King p. 66 K. Kayserswert taken by the Elector of Brandenburgh p. 215 Knock Fort the Allies lose above two thousand Men before it p. 269 L. Ladeburgh the Imperialists defeated by Tuâ—rene near this Place p. 124 Lagos about eighty Vessels were taken and burnt betwixt this place and Cadiz p. 245 246 Lavardin Marquiss of French Ambassadour at Rome p. 197 The Pope refuses him Audience p. 198 League against France betwixt the Emperour Spain and Denmark Holland and all the Princes of Germany except the Dukes of Bavaria and Hannover p. 107 111 League betwixt England and Holland against France p. 153 League of Ausburgh p. 193 League betwixt the Empire Spain England Holland and Savoy against France p. 207 p. 209 Leopold Ignatius Emperour of Germany desires Succours from the King p. 57 Enters in a League against France p. 107 Makes Peace with France p. 165 Makes a Truce with the King p. 177 Enters in another Alliance against him p. 193 Declares for the Election of Prince Clement of Bavaria p. 200 Makes Peace with France p. 308 Leuze Engagement near Leuze 229 Lewis XIII seises Lorrain p. 80 His War with the Hugonots p. 188 Lewis XIV sirnamed the Great his Birth p. 1 Troubles under his Minority p. 2 Is present at the Battle of St. Anthony p. 5 Falls dangerously ill at Calais p. 13 Marries the Infanta of Portugal p. 17 Enters Paris in Triumph p. 20 Lewis the Great his Divertisements p. 25 Obliges Spain to allow him the Precedency p. 37 Receives Satisfaction for the Affront put upon his Ambassadour at the Court of Rome p. 45 Causes a new Codex or Lambock to be compiled p. 52 Restores the decayed Commerce p. 56 Sends Succours to the Emperour p. 57 And to the Dutch p. 58 Lewis the Great besieges and takes Listle p. 66 Conquers the French Comte in eight days p. 68 Suppresles Jansinism p. 69 Builds Versailles p. 77 And takes Possession of Lorrain p. 81 LEWIS the Great declares War against Holland p. 85 His first Conquests p. 87 seq New Conquests p. 92 Draws the King of England from his Alliance with the Dutch p. 95 Besieges and takes Mastrick p. 103 seq Besieges and takes Besanson p. 114 Makes himself Master of the whole French Comte in one Months time p. 117 LEWIS the Great takes Conde p. 134 Sends Succours to Messina p. 136 Takes Valenciennes p. 142 The Town and Cittadel of Cambray p. 148 Ghent p. 156 Ipres p. ibid. Restores Peace to Europe p. 162 Erects the Academies for the Cadees p. 168 Builds the Hospital of the Invalides p. 169 Founds the Community of St. Cyr. p. ib. LEWIS the Great Chastises the Corsairs of Barbary p. 171 172 Genoeses p. ibid. Summons all his Vassals in Alsace to do him Homage p. 174 Goes to Strasburgh to receive in Person the Oath of Fidelity p. 175 Makes a Truce with the Emperour for twenty years p. 177 LEWIS the Great obliges the King of Spain to resign the Title of Duke of Burgundy p. 177 Causes Luxenburgh to be block'd up p. 178 Covers the Siege of Luxenburgh p. 179 Makes a Truce with Spain for twenty Years p. 180 Differences betwixt him and the Court of Rome p. ibid. He suppresses Calvinism in France p. 187 The whole Kingdom makes Vows for his Recovery p. 192 The Motives that obliged him to have recourse to Arms. p. 202 Takes Philipsburgh and the whole Palatinate p. 203 204 LEWIS the Great receives the King and Queen of England with an unparallell'd Generosity p. 213 Sends Succours into Ireland p. ib. Besieges and takes Mons. p. 228 The City and Cittadel of Namur p. 233 Being troubled with the Gout is carried in a Chair to all Places where his Presence was most necessary p. 236 The Prince of Conty Elected King of Poland by his Encouragement and Protection p. 299 Restores Peace to Europe p. 307 Limburgh taken by Henry Julius Prince of Conde p. 128 Limerick in Ireland bravely defended by the French p. 225 The English obliged to raise the Siege ibid. Limits see Differences Lines what they are p. 249 New Lines drawn from the Shelde to the Lis and from Courtray to the Sea-side p. 268 Longueville Duke of kill'd p. 98 Longe Alphonse de Durasford Duke de Lorges Marshal of France makes good his Retreat against the Imperialists after the Death of Turenne p. 132 Takes Heidelbergh p. 246 Louvois see Tellier Luxenburgh block'd up p. 178 Besieged p. 179 Taken p. ib. Luxenburgh Francis Henry de Montmorancy Duke de Pency Luxenburgh Peer and Marshal of France takes Groll Deventer and all the Places in the Province of Over-Yssle p. 93 Obliges the Prince of Orange to raise the Siege of Voerden p. 97 Repulses the Dutch at St. Denis p. 163 Beats the Allies at Flerus p. 219 Leuze p. 229 Steenkirk p. 239 At Neerwinden p. 248 His Death p. 270 M. Machin or Engine made use of by the English against St. Malo p. 252 Maine Lewis Augustus Duke de Maine Commands the French Cavalry at the Battle of Steenkirk p. 239 Signalizes himself at Neerwinden p. 248 St. Malo see Bombardment Manheim a strong Place in the Palatinate p. 204 Marcin Count de Marcin General of the Spanish Forces marches to the Relief of L' Isle p. 66 Is Routed p. ibid. Mardick a Fort. p. 13 Maria Theresia Queen of France see Austria Maria Adelhida Dutches of Burgundy see Savoy Marsal granted to the King p. 80 Mastrick besieged by the King p. 103 Taken p. 106 Besieged by the Prince of Orange p. 135 Mayence besieged p. 215 Taken p. 217 Mazarine Julius Cardinal Premier Minister under the Regency of the Queen Mother p. 2 His Conference with Don Lewis de Haro p. 18 His Death p. 22 Mehaigne a small River near Namur p. 235 Messina shakes off the Spanish Yoke p. 136 Metz Chamber of Re-union established at Metz. p. 174 Mirc-Court the ordinary Place of Residence of Charles IV. Duke of Lorrain p. 81 Missionaries preach among the Calvinists p. 189 Mons besieged and taken by the King p. 228 Montausier Charles Duke of Peer of France Governour to Lewis Dauphine p. 170 Montmelian taken p. 231 Montecuculi Count of his Character p. 129 Munster Bernhard-van Galen Bishop of invades Holland p. 58 Joyns his Troops with the French in the Dutch War p. 93 Declares against France p. 111 N. Namur besieged by the King and taken p. 233. Besieged by the Allies p. 271 Nancy fortified by the King p. 107 Naerden a small Place in Holland
in a little while after he saw them marching with Drums beating and their Officers at the head of them towards the Palace which they invested on all sides putting Corps de Guards on all the Avenues leading to it and not contented with this they committed other most enormous outrages discharging their Fusees charg'd with Ball for an Hour together at the Gates and Windows of the Palace not sparing even the Ambassadour's Person who came out into a Balcony to see what passed among them He was no sooner oblig'd to retire from thence but they attack'd the Ambassadrice who being ignorant of what had passed near her Palace was returning home in her Coach She was in no small danger of having been assassinated by several Musquet Bullets that passed near her but she had the good Fortune to escape without any other hurt than what was occasioned by the fright one of her Pages being kill'd just by her Coach side and one of the Footmen sorely wounded At the same time the Shirri's who never make use of Fire-Armes followed closely the Footsteeps of the Soldiers knocking down all the French Men they met with in the Streets of Rome and in all likelihood this Tragedy would have ended in a General Massacre of the French if the People of Rome had not testified their aversion to such barbarous Actions and made loud exclamations against the Author as well as the Executioners of this bloody Tragedy If the Government had not been concerned in this Action of the Souldiery it had been but a piece both of Justice and Prudence to have given some publick and real Demonstrations of their dislike by inflicting a prompt and most rigorous punishment upon these Insolent Offenders but so far were they from calling them to a severe acceunt that they gave opportunity to the Ring-leaders and such others as were known to have been most concerned in the slaughter of the French to slip away eight or nine days being passed before they made an enquiry after those Assassins To heap injuries upon injuries the Cardinal Imperiale Governour of Rome some time after block'd up a fresh the Palace of Farnese under pretext that it had been taken notice of that the Ambassadour ever since the last affront was offer'd did appear abroad with a more numorous Attendance than he had been used to do before so that the Duke seeing himself treated with so much Indignity left Rome and retired to a place belonging to the Great Duke of Tuscany The News of a thing so exterordinary being communicated to most Courts of Europe there were very few who could perswade themselves that the Court of Rome could be so much overseen as to come to those extremities without great provocation given on the Ambassadour's side But all what could be laid to his Charge amounted to no more than that he had delay'd for some days to pay the first Visit to some of the Pope's Kindred who were not of the Ecclesiastical Order the Duke being willing to receive first the King's Instructions concerning a Punctilio which hitherto remained undecided For the rest they pretended to have great cause of complaint against the Duke who as they alledged peing of a haughty temper had dissuaded the King from allowing yearly pensions to these new Princes And this being questionless the main cause of their hatred was also the true occasion of the quarrel for it was easie to be perceived that upon all occasions they show'd much Indifferency not only to the Ambassadour but also to the French Nation in general which at last broke out into an open Enmity For considerable time there had scarce pass'd a day but some sparks of that devouring Fire which lay couch'd under the Ashes did appear which at last broke out in a Flame with the more noise and violence The Offence if any had been given was scarce worth taking notice of but supposing it had been much greater the Revenge appear'd so Cruel in the Eyes of all the World that notwithstanding all the endeavours used by the Pope to engage the Crown of Spain in the quarrel neither that King nor any other Prince shew'd the least Inclination to espouse it unless it were to dispose the Pope to give absolute satisfaction to the King Spain had indeed no reason to assist the Pope's Kindred it was rather for the Interest of that Crown to clip a little their Wings and to make them shew more respect to their more Potent Neighbours besides it concerned them very nearly to avoid all occasions of drawing the French Arms into Italy Another advantage which that Crown proposed to its self by abandoning the Pope's Interest at this time and consequently to put him under a necessity of giving due satisfaction to the King was that they did not question thereby to kindle an irreconcilable hatred betwixt them which being continued in the Family of the Chigi's would in all probability prove as mischievous to the French Interest as it would be profitable to them in the next Conclave It is true they could not but look with a jealous Eye upon the Glory which the King was likely to reap from the said satisfaction but considering on the other Hand that this augmentation of his Power would also serve for fuel to kindle jealousie in the rest of the Princes of Europe the Council of Spain judged it most for their Interest to stand Neuter and to endeavour by all means to perswade the Pope to put an end to the difference without coming to an open rupture But Pope Alexander VII was Deaf to their Counsels Before his Elevation to the Papal Dignity he had led a very Austere Life shewing not the least inclination for his Kindred or any other Worldly Pleasures for which reason he used always to have a Coffin set in his Bed-Chamber to put him in mind of Mortality but being by his Elevation arrived to the highest pitch of his hopes he appear'd quite different from what he had been before he affected an extraordinary magnificence of his Apparrel his Furnitures and Equipages were very sumptuous no body more nice and delicate in his Table than himself and he shew'd so much tenderness for his Kindred that he heap'd upon them prodigious Riches So true it is that when those who have led an Austere Life are once made sensible of the Pleasures and Vanities of the World they are sure to make themselves amends for what they have lost before The false Idea the Pope had conceived of his own Power and Strength the strong Inclination he had for his Family and the Antipathy he bore to France made him resolve at last either to refuse the demanded satisfaction to France or at least to put it off by various delays as long as possible could be done in hopes that by some favourable juncture or other the Face of Affairs might be changed in Europe It is unquestionable that the King had all the reason in the World to be dissatisfied with the Pope and
Victory and their entire submission in relinquishing the Fruits of their Bravery The whole Garrison which consisted still of two thousand eight hundred Men were made Prisoners of War but the Citizens had their chiefest Privileges confirm'd to them In the Afternoon every thing appear'd as quiet in the City as if they had not chang'd their Master A most remarkable Victory where a handful of Men in half an hours time carried several strong Works by Assault passed four or five Ditches and made themselves Masters of one of the strongest and most populous Cities in all Flanders and that with the loss only of Forty Men on our side The taking of Valenciennes did like a dreadful Thunderclap make the whole Country round about tremble for fear there being scarce one City tho' never so strong in those parts which did not dread to undergo the same Fate To raise their drooping Courage the Prince of Orange march'd at the Head of an Army of thirty thousand Men composed of the Dutch Forces to endeavour the relief either of Cambray or St. Omer which were besieg'd both at the same time the first by the King in Person the other by the Duke of Orleans his Majesty's only Brother Cambray being of such a strength and advantageous Situation that it was reported the Spaniards made more account upon it than all the rest of Flanders it was generally believ'd the storm would fall that way but beyond all expectation the Enemy rather chose to relieve St. Omer than Cambray partly because they might with less difficulty possess themselves of some advantageous Posts near St. Omer partly because they had flatter'd themselves with this Opinion that without much resistance they might force our Quarters on one side where they were not very well secur'd The Enemies march was so far from causing the least disturbance among our Soldiers that both Sieges were carried on with the same Vigour as before there being such an Emulation among the Soldiery that one strove to out-do the other in performing their duties the more because they were plentifully provided with every thing necessary for their subsistence For it is to be observ'd that the King took always this sure Maxim to have his Magazins every Year very well provided during the Winter with all manner of Provisions to be in a condition to prevent his Enemies designs and to appear as early in the Field as he judg'd it convenient Cambray was so furiously attack'd by the King Cambray surrender'd April 5. that the City was forc'd to Capitulate within six days after opening of the Trenches the next following Day the King order'd a Detachment of nine Battallions to march with all possible diligence to joyn the Duke of Orleans before the Enemy could force his Lines or engage him This Prince had in the mean while advanc'd so briskly in the Siege of St. Omer that at that very time he had made himself Master of the most considerable Fort near the Place and on which depended hitherto the whole safety of the Town It was at that very instant he received certain intelligence that the Enemy were advanced within six or seven Leagues in order to relieve the Place His Troops were much harass'd and less numerous than the Prince of Orange's but having receiv'd the King's Orders to march against them he marched out of the Lines and having left only a Body of Militia with some regular Troops to guard the Trenches and Works directed his march towards Cassel being confident that the King had taken his measures so surely as that the expected reinforcement would come time enough to his assistance neither did he find himself in the least mistaken in his hopes the above-mention'd Battallions having joyn'd him at the very nick of time as he expected and so a propos that if they had come sooner they would have been less useful The Duke of Orleans strengthen'd by this reinforcement and finding himself not inferiour in number to the Enemy sought only for an opportunity to execute the King's Commands in order to which with a generous resolution he passed the next Day with his Army a small Brook which separated the two Armies and attack'd the Enemy with great fury Battli of Cassel April 11. The first Encounter was the most terrible that had been seen in the memory of Man both sides fighting with an equal bravery so that the success remain'd doubtful for some Hours just as if Fortune had taken a particular delight to see so many brave Men dispute Victory to the utmost of their power But after the Enemy had stood their ground bravely for three Hours they were at last forc'd to give way and soon after being broken on all sides to seek for their safety in their Heels leaving as a pledge of their defeat to the mercy of our Soldiers all their Ammunition and Baggage seventeen Standards four and forty Colours thirteen pieces of Cannon three thousand Prisoners and the Field all cover'd with dead and wounded Men Six thousand of them were counted to be fallen upon the spot the rest sav'd themselves under the favour of the Hedges and Defiles the approaching Night and the vast number of small Channels in which the Country abounds serving them for a safeguard against their Enemies who durst not pursue them but with a great deal of caution The Duke of Orleans acquir'd immortal Glory in this Action having shewn himself as great a General in the disposition of his Army as he behav'd himself a brave Soldier during the whole Engagement having receiv'd two Shot in his Armour as he was rallying some Battallions and leading them on again to Charge the Enemy he continued with his Army for 2 Days after near the Field of Battle the better to give his Orders for the pursuit of the Enemy and to see whether perhaps they might be in a condition to try their Fortune and attempt the relief of the Place a second time but having received certain intelligence that they were retreated far into the Country he return'd with his Troops to the Lines to continue the Siege of St. Omer without any further interruption In two Days after his new Batteries began to Play against the Body of the Place and the Trenches were carried on to the Glacis The Counterscarp being taken St. Omer taken a wide Breach was made the Ditch fill'd up in Order to give a General Assault the Town Capitulated after having defended it self with a great deal of Gallantry and Resolution Three days before the Citadel of Cambray had likewise been forc'd to a Surrender by the King The Garrison was composed of seven old Regiments whereof two were Spaniards two Lorrainers and three Walloons under a Governor who had an equal share of bravery and skill in Martial Affairs The Place was well provided with every thing for its Defence and of such a strength that its Fortifications were look'd upon as impregnable Every thing seem'd to concur for a Vigorous Defence
against the King's Forces who were not above nine or ten thousand strong This seem'd to be a very slender Force and little suitable to the greatness of the Enterprise but the King by his Presence Vigilancy and Example did animate his Soldiers to that degree that redoubling their Courage and Activity they in spite of the continual Fire and frequent Sallies of the Besieged carried all the Out-Works in nine or ten Days time Our Cannon having soon after made a Breach in one of the Bastions of the Place large enough for thirty Men to mount a-Breast the Governour despairing of being able to hold out the Assault demanded a Capitulation It would have been no difficult matter for the King to have oblig'd him to surrender at discretion but being free to shew Mercy to one that had behav'd himself so Gallantly The Citadel of Cambray surrender'd he agreed to certain Articles to serve him as a comfort in his present affliction pursuant to which the Garrison marched out at the Breach with Drums beating Colours Flying and two pieces of Cannon The Conquest of these three important places and the Battle of Cassel put the Affairs of the Confederacy into such a confusision that it was a considerable time before they could recollect themselves For it was not till three Months after that they held a Congress at Wesel to deliberate concerning some Enterprize of moment by which they might in some measure recover their former Reputation and Hopes The Elector of Brandenburgh the Duke of Nieuburgh who had lately declared against France the Ambassador of the King of Denmark the Pensionary of Holland Admiral Trump and the Envoys of the King of Spain and several other Electors were present at this Conference where the Siege of Charleroy was resolved upon and the execution thereof committed to the Management of the Prince of Orange No sooner was the Place invested with threescore thousand Men but the King's Army posted themselves betwixt the Enemy and those Cities of Flanders from whence they must draw their Provisions so that their Convoys being intercepted they were in a manner block'd up and began to want Provisions in two Days time There was no other remedy left than either to fight us or to quit the Siege but the Confederates not judging it for their purpose to hazard a second Battle they decamped not without some Confusion before eight Days were expired laying the fault upon one another and consuming what Forage they could meet with in the Country without shewing any great inclination to oppose the King's Forces who ravaged the Country and exacted great Contributions The King's Arms were attended with the same success in other parts Victory in Catalonia Philip de Montaut Duke de Nouailles had ravaged the whole Lampourdan and defeated ten Thousand Spaniards as they were repassing the Pyrenean Mountains there were three Thousand five Hundred of the Enemies killed upon the place and eight Hundred made Prisoners with the loss of only two Hundred Men on our side In Germany the Troops of the neighbouring Circles commanded by a Duke of Saxony In Germany had been worsted in several Encounters and were at last forced to seek for shelter in one of the Islands of the Rhine But what they intended for their Preservation had very near proved their total Destruction being in eminent danger of perishing either by Famine or the Enemies Sword if upon the intercession of the Magistrate of Strasburgh the King had not granted them a Passport to retreat from thence in security under condition that they should not bear Arms against the King the same Campaign The Passport being signed by the Marshal de Crequy who commanded at that time on the Rhine the abovementioned Forces with their Saxon General were marching homeward being conducted by a strong Guard their main security against their Enemies when Prince Charles of Lorrain came in timely to their Assistance to deliver them from so ignominious a Retreat But it was not long before he paid dearly for the Glory of having rescued the Germans for within few Days after the Cavalry of his Right Wing was totally routed and cut to pieces This Prince was Heir and Nephew to the old Duke of Lorrain who died in the Year 1675. After his Death the Emperour to bring him over to his Interest made him General over his Army on the Rhine promising to give to him in Marriage his Sister the Queen Dowager of Poland and to make use of all his Power and Interest to put him into the Possession of Lorrain which belonged to him by right of Succession His projected design succeeded but ill in the Year 1676. But at the beginning of the Campaign in the Year 1677 he thought himself so sure that he puts this Motto upon his Standards Maintenant ou jamais that is Now or Never Full of these fair hopes he passed the Saar and advanced as far as Mouson but the Marshal de Crequy followed him so closely upon the Heels that he scarce ever miss'd any opportunity to intercept his Convoys and thereby to cut off his necessary Supplies of Provisions he kept his Army in continual Alarm and by his Marches and Counter-marches harrass'd them to that degree that he broke all the Duke's Measures who was at last forced to repass the Rhine without having been able to do any thing of moment all that Campaign The Germans had no sooner repass'd the Rhine Friburgh taken but the Marshal de Crequy invested Friburgh the Capital City of Brisgau This City is of a considerable bigness and its Citadel very strong both by its Situation and several good Works notwithstanding which the Marshal attack'd it so briskly that he became Master of it in less than eight Days time before Prince Charles of Lorrain could come to its relief About a Month after St. Gillian besieged and taken the King caused St. Gillian to be Besieged this Place is situate in the midst of the Province of Heinault of very good strength and well provided with every thing necessary for its defence The Soldiers were not only to fight against the Enemy but also against the cold Season it being in the Month of December notwithstanding all these Difficulties they carried the place in nine Days a convincing Instance that the King's Troops were used to outbrave all the Rigours of the Season These frequent Losses and continual Disappointments made the People of Holland wish as much for a Peace as the Prince of Orange had reason to oppose it For it being the Interest of that Prince to keep in his Hands as long as possibly he could that great power wherewith he was invested as long as he was supream Commander both over their Sea and Land Forces he left no Stone unturn'd to prevent the States from making either a general or particular Peace with France But this small and troublesome War which had already lasted four Years having exhausted all the Parties concerned both of Men
and Money the Prince judged it most for his Purpose to make his application to the Court of England The English at that time overflow'd in Riches they had in a manner managed all the Traffick of Europe alone for three Years last past Their great affluence of Riches had made them jealous of our King 's growing Power and being besides this desirous of Glory and of signalizing themselves abroad they earnestly wished for a War with France which had made them more than once to sollicite King Charles II. to enter into the Confederacy This appearing a favourable juncture to the Prince of Orange's Design he undertook a Journey to London as well to engage that King in an Alliance against us as to espouse the eldest Daughter of the Duke of York The Prince of Orange being K. Charles II. his Nephew was much beloved and esteemed by him The Prince's Religion his great Capacity and Riches his Aversion to France and his great Interest in Holland had procured him great and many Friends in both Houses of Parliament It is easie to be imagined that upon this occasion he made use of all his Engines to draw his Uncle into the Confederacy for which reason he perswaded him to project certain Propositions of Peace and to declare against those that should refuse to accept of them League betwixt England and Holland France being unwilling to hearken to these Conditions great Levies were made in England and some of their Troops were transported into Flanders But neither this New League neither the English Auxiliary Troops were sufficient to stop the Progress of our King 's Victorious Arms or to hinder him from making new Conquests in the next Spring The better to cover his design Campaign in 1678. he took a Progress into Lorrain the beginning of February where he continued all that Month with the Queen and the whole Court During this Progress his Armies in Flanders in Germany and Lorrain were continually in motion so that these Marches and Countermarches did amuse the Enemy to that degree that it was impossible for them to judge which of their Places was most in danger and consequently to take any sure Measures for the security of such places as they thought most exposed for fear of leaving others unprovided in case of an Attack For the King having his Magazines well provided with every thing necessary for the carrying on four or five Sieges at a time from the Sea to the Rhine the Confederates were put under a necessity of fearing all without being able to guess whereabouts the Storm would fall Whilst they were under this perplexity the Marshal de Humiers made a faint as if he intended to Besiege Ipres which obliged the Governour of the Spanish Netherlands to send thither a great part of the Garrison of Ghent But scarce were they on their March towards Ipres when the City of Ghent it self was invested by threescore Thousand Men who were order'd thither from all the circumjacent places and at the same time Ipres Charlemont Namur Mons and Luxenburgh where the Confederates had disposed most of their best Troops were block'd up by several flying Armies Ghent has always been esteemed the largest City of the Low Countries Siege of Ghent it has a good Citadel with very fair Out-works a strong Wall surrounded with a large and deep Ditch Its Fortifications the number and Martial Inclination of its Inhabitants besides its low situation in a Marshy Ground at the Confluence of three Rivers and two Canals which serve for a Barricado against an approaching Enemy did render this Enterprise so difficult in the Eyes of all the World that after the Siege was begun the News of it scarce met with credit in the Neighbouring Countries The King had taken such measures and his Orders were obey'd with such exactness and alacrity that tho' the Place had not been Invested above three Days when he arriv'd in the Camp the Lines of Circumvallation which contain'd eight Leagues in compass were very near brought to perfection notwithstanding the rainy Season and the many difficulties which were to be surmounted in these marshy Grounds It was extreamly bad Weather when he set out from Stenay notwithstanding which he travelled above sixty large Leagues in less than three Days and arrived in the Camp before Ghent on the 4th of March when without dismounting from his Horse or taking the least refreshment or repose he took in Person a view of the Place and all the Works the Governour of Ghent having the same Day open'd the Sluices the King order'd so many Dikes and Ditches for the draining of the Ground to be made that his Forces received no considerable damage by the Water and were preserv'd in so good a condition as to make themselves Masters the next Day of the Counterscarp and some Out-Works Nevertheless this great City defended it self for some time longer till the Inhabitants being made sensible of the effects of our Bombs Carcasses and fiery Bullets which flew as thick as Hail-stones and destroy'd their Houses they beat a Parley The next day after the Citadel was besieg'd by Noon-day Ghent taken which being defended by four good Bastions and a Garrison of a thousand Men yet was forc'd to surrender on the third Day after opening of the Trenches After the taking of Ghent Ypress besieged the King without loosing any time marched directly to Ipress a well Fortified City and conveniently situated for the King to keep correspondence with and secure his other Conquests thereabouts The Spaniards had lately drawn out of the place two Battallions of their best Men whom they sent to Bruges to reinforce that Garrison nevertheless there was at the beginning of the Siege a Garrison consisting of three thousand effective Men old and well disciplin'd Troops besides a great number of brave Officers and Voluntiers who by their Example encouraged the Soldiers to make a vigorous Defence But by the bravery of our Troops the Trenches were carried on to the Glacis and Counterscarp and after a bloody Engagement taken with Sword in Hand so the City and Citadel being without any hopes of relief Capitulated at the same time The Siege cost us abundance of Men tho' it lasted not above nine Days after the opening of the Trenches by reason that the French were not only to overcome the obstinacy of the Besieged who defended themselves very valiantly but also the rigour of the cold Season and the inconveniencies of continual Rains The King's Arms being thus every where crown'd with Success it seem'd that nothing was able to resist his Power those Princes that were enter'd into a League against him having for four Years together rais'd no other advantage by the Confederacy than to add new Lustre to his Glory and Power He had at that time two great Fleets at Sea and five Armies on Land which together with his Garrisons consisted of sixty thousand Horse and two hundred and forty thousand Foot all
inhabited by the last and that a good number of Prudent and Zealous Missionaries should be sent among them who by their Instructions and good Examples might bring back these lost Sheep to the Sheep-fold To back their Zeal and Endeavours by his Royal Authority he promised ample Rewards Honours and Privileges to such of his Subjects as would return into the bosom of the Church and to punish those that remain'd obstinate he not only excluded them from his Household and all other employments of Honour or Profit but order'd also that Soldiers should be quarter'd in their Houses till such time that they might be prevail'd upon to change their Opinion In such a case as this it is not sufficient to give good and wholesome Instructions there being a certain benummedness as it may be said in Mankind which oweing its Off-spring to a long Custom makes them look with too much indifferency after the means of their Salvation unless they be spurr'd on by fear Most Men are so prepossessed with prejudices especially if degenerated into a habit of carelesness that they think it scarce ever worth their while to make a due search after Truth unless they be forc'd thereunto by the apprehensions of danger and the desire of living in quiet The King order'd all the Courts of Justice erected by vertue of the Edict of Nantes to be abolish'd and in lieu of them made several Laws in favour of the Catholick Religion which debarr'd them from that pernicious liberty of abjuring the true Religion and those of the Protestants who had embrac'd it to return to their former Errors and Heresie under severe punishments to shut up all such Churches as receive them and to forbid the Ministerial Function to their Preachers But these were too fond of maintaining and encouraging their Faction to give ear to the King's Commands who to punish their disobedience order'd many of their Churches to be pull'd down and laid level with the ground especially in such places where the had exercis'd their Divine Worship contrary even to those Edicts which were made in their behalf It is in this place that with all the reason in the World may be apply'd this saying That there are certain Truths which appear so little probable that they resemble more a Fable than Truth it self Will it not appear incredible to Posterity when they shall read that we have seen in our times so strong a Faction dwindle away to nothing without any violence or commotion For in four or five Years time whole Cities were re-united to the Obedience of the Church who had this comfort to see by the conduct of her eldest Son Two Millions of her Children return into her Bosom Thus the King in the Year 1685 on the 22th of October annull'd the Edicts of Nantes and Nismes their Churches were all laid level with the Ground their Ministers banish'd the Kingdom and Calvinism was entirely rooted out without the least commotion As by these so many and great Actions the love which the People bore to the King encreased more and more every Day so it is scarce to be express'd with what a general consternation the whole Kingdom was seiz'd when about a Year after his Life was in danger For seven or eighth Months before In Decem. 1678. he had been much out of order having at several times been seized either with a Fever or some other Distemper till at last it breaking out into an Ulcer an incision was judg'd the only remedy against the Evil which being applied accordingly prov'd so dangerous that he could not possibly have escaped with his Life if the Fever had return'd But the cause of it is attributed by many to the excess of fear which seizes the faint hearted Patient in such an operation so the King having born it without the least commotion he scarce found any alteration having receiv'd the visits of many the same Day appear'd in Council the next and during the whole time he was afflicted with this Evil which lasted above five Weeks he manag'd all State-Affairs and dispatch'd his Orders with the same activity as he was us'd to do before As long as he was judg'd to be in danger the whole Kingdom offer'd up their Vows for his recovery Nothing was more frequent than to see the Handycrafts Men leave their Employments and to run in prodigious numbers to the Churches which were always full from Morning till Night the People flocking in vast numbers to Pray for the King's Health But as they had given most evident proofs of their sorrow and grief hitherto so they strove to out-do one another in their demonstrations of Joy at his Recovery the rejoycings made upon this Occasion being risen to that degree of extravagancy that it was judged convenient to put a stop to them by publick Authority But if his recovery fill'd all his Subjects with joy and satisfaction his Enemies jealous of his greatness were the more surprised when they found themselves deceiv'd in their expectation It was above a Year since the Prince of Orange the Ministers of the Emperor and the Duke of Neuburgh had fomented the jealousie which the other Princes of Europe had conceived at our King's Prosperity The Duke of Neuburgh especially being a very active Prince and a great Politician who never miss'd the least opportunity of promoting his own Interests had made many Cabals against France especially in Germany and Spain where by his perswasions he animated these Princes to enter into a League against us insinuating to them the danger that threatned them smâ—e the conclusion of the Truce made at Ratisbonne in the Year 1684 which he represented to them more disgraceful than the Peace it self made at Nimeguen and that therefore it would be more for their Interest to take up Arms for the recovery of their Losses and Reputation an open War being less dangerous than to suffer France to bid defiance to them in the midst of Peace that they could scarce hope for a more favourable juncture than this the present greatness of France being owing to their King whose health being now impaired to that degree as not to be able to get on Horseback and to animate his Subjects by his Presence These insinuations and intrigues were at last so prevailing that in the Year 1686 in July an Alliance was concluded at Augsburgh against France betwixt the Emperor the King of Spain the States-General of the United Provinces the Elector Palatin and the Electors of Brandenburgh and Saxony many Catholick and generally all the Protestant Princes of Germany After the taking of Luxemburgh and the conclusion of the Truce the King had shewn more inclinâ—… than ever to maintain the Peace of Christendom he had let the Emperor gain several Battles and Conquer a whole Kingdom without any opposition or making the least Diversion which might in all probability have prevented the Imperialists from extending their Conquests and ruining the Ottoman Empire which seem'd at that time to
of one another for a whole Month exactly observing and following one another's motions frequently saluting one another with their Cannon without coming to handy-blows In the mean while the Siege was carried on with all imaginable vigour the King not only giving his Directions upon all occasions of moment but also seeing them put in execution Being seiz'd with the Gout when they were just ready to attack a covert way he caused himself to be carried in a Chair to a certain Place from whence he could see all what passed and give the necessary Orders as occasion should require Here it was that Lewis Alexander Count of Tholouse was wounded by his side It was observable that there did not appear the least change in this young Prince's Countenance at this mishap a happy presage of those many courageous Actions he has since that time given such eminent proofs of in the following Campaigns The King's Forces being animated by his Presence and Example never behaved themselves so well in any Siege whatever giving every Day innumerable demonstrations of their Courage and Patience for the besieged fired without intermission The weather was extreamly bad during the whole Siege the Soldiers being continually fatigu'd by the Rains and Tempests besides which they met with so many Rocks in the carrying on of the Trenches that they could advance but slowly and with a great deal of difficulty they being forc'd to carry them round about several great Hills and large Valleys which took up a vast compass But all these obstacles served only to augment the Patience and Courage of our Soldiers It was next to a prodigy to see some of them crawl up boldly to the Breaches and to endeavour to keep their Post only with their Swords in Hand against a vast number of Enemies who powered whole showers of small-shot at them whilst they return'd them as many Hand-Granadoes as they were able to throw The first and the bravest Action that happened in the whole Siege was near a certain Eminency where the Enemy having strongly Entrenched themselves we were forc'd to drive them from that Post before we could open our Trenches before the Castle The King's Troops attack'd them with Sword in Hand and Bayonetts in their Fusees They fired very briskly from their Entrenchments which our Troops having sustained with great bravery the Enemy at their approach quitted the Post after they had lost two or three hundred Men. Within six Days after we forc'd their retrenchments and redoubts of the Hermitage The Fort William defended it self ten Days On the tenth we carried the Covert-way not without great slaughter on both sides when the Dutch Garrison came immediately to a Capitulation This done there was remaining as yet the Castle with all its Out-works This was the most difficult task but by the King's presence the Works were carried on so vigorously that in five Days time we made an Assault upon the Counterscarp The Besieged defended themselves with all the courage imaginable but were at last forced to way to the numbers of the Besiegers who were from time to time seconded with fresh Troops soon after all their Cannon being dismounted one of their chief Magazins blown up by two of our Bombs and another being fallen into the great Cistern which furnished the Castle with Water and our Mines ready to spring under one of the Bastions of the Horn-work what with hunger and thirst what with fear of not being able to sustain a General Assault for want of Sleep occasioned by the continual throwing in of Bombs they were necessitated to hearken to a Capitulation notwithstanding that the body of the Castle was entire and that they had as yet a Horn-work left which would have cost us no small trouble to take Out of eight or nine thousand Men of which the Garrison of Namur consisted at the beginning of the Siege there were but twelve hundred left in the Fort William and two thousand five hundred in the Castle when they marched out The rest perished either by sickness or were killed by our Bombs or in the several Attacks and Sallies The taking of Namur in the sight of an Army of an hundred thousand Men put all the Spanish Netherlands under a most terrible consternation the common people being extreamly dissatisfied that the relief of a place of such consequence had not as much as been attempted by the Confederate Army affronted nay assaulted the Dutch at Brussels and several other places and did not stick to grumble at the Prince of Orange King William III. who to appease them and to raise their drooping Courage resolved within a Month after to give us Battle Every thing seem'd to conspire for his advantage Battle of Stenkerk Aug. 3. He was now thirty thousand Men stronger in Insantry than the Duke of Luxemburgh who labour'd also under another inconveniency that his Cannon was left behind his Artillery not arriving till the Night before the Engagement The Grounds on that side where the Enemy intended at Attack us being full of small Bogs and Rivulets with very thick Hedges and large Ditches was only fit for the Infantry to Engage in Here it was that the Troops of the King's Houshold were posted who being cover'd by one single Brigade the rest of the French Infantry were at least a League 's distance from thence the Prince of Orange King William III. did not in the least question but they would soon be over-powered by the whole English Infantry that were to begin the Attack all the circumstances appearing so favourable on his side that he thought himself assured of Victory To amuse the Enemies Spies he issued out his Orders the Night before the Engagement that they should go a Foraging the next Day which done he kept all the General Officers of the Army with him in his Tent till ten a Clock at Night when having sent them back to their respective Posts the march was begun about half an hour after to be within sight of the French Camp at break of Day There appear'd so much satisfaction and joy both in his Countenance and Words that when they arriv'd at the appointed place without being discovered by the French he spoke out a loud to his Soldiers that they were going to an assured Victory not to fight but to cut to pieces their Enemies tho' many were of Opinion that this assurance he gave to his Soldiers of an undoubted Victory was rather done with an intention to enflame their Courage than to express his own sentiments it being unquestionable that it was always consider'd as one of the chiefest qualifications belonging to a General to know how to inspire his Soldiers with a seasonable assurance of Victory It is more than probable that if at that instant he had led his Army towards the Enemy his design would have succeeded but whilst he stayed for the coming up of the Elector of Bavaria and Count Waldeck who stayed above an Hour longer than was expected the French
contrary he shew'd such an unparallell'd Resolution in the whole management of his Affairs at that time that he seem'd to bid Defiance to all Dangers and inspite of all the Intrigues and the Hazard of quitting the Helm at so critical a Juncture he passed over into Flanders in the next Spring to encourage and promote by his Presence the Zeal of the Confederate Princes who having augmented their Forces made all imaginable Preparations to attack us with more Vigour than ever According to the measures concerted betwixt the Confederates they were to undertake three several Sieges at once one in Flanders another in Italy and a third in Catalonia whilst two good Fleets were to Alarm our Coasts and to destroy our Sea-Port Towns It must be confess'd that the Confederates were at present in a much better Condition than ever since the beginning of the War to undertake something of Moment to raise the drooping Courage of their Subjects and it must also be allow'd that they were more successful this Campaign than before tho' at the same time they succeeded but in one of these three For the Germans were not in a capacity to act offensively having been much diminished by several large Detachments sent to reinforce their Army 's in Flanders The Spaniards besieged Castle Follit in Catalonia but at the approach of the Duke of Vendosme who Commanded instead of the Marshal de Noailles who was faln sick at the opening of the Campaign they quitted the Siege Towards the end of the Summer they sat down before Palamos but with no better success for after five days of opening the Trenches they raised the Siege upon notice that the Duke was marching against them For these two years past the Emperour and Spain had press'd the Duke of Savoy to lay Siege to Casal a Place situate upon the River Po and so considerable for its advantageous Situation betwixt Savoy and the Milaneze the Petty Principalities of Mantua Modena and Parma The Spaniards who within fifty or sixty years have besieged this Place five several times have for a considerable time been very ambitious of becoming Masters of this Place which for its convenient Situation would open to them the way to the Conquest of all Italy The Emperour's Design being founded upon the same Maxim the Duke of Savoy for fear of endangering his own Liberty had hitherto refused to join with them in the Siege of this Place But the Council at Viena having at last found Means to remove all Jealousy perswaded the Duke to consent to it Accordingly they made prodigious Preparations for the carrying on of this Siege and that with so much Expedition Siege of Casal that the Lines and Batteries were finished in the Month of April But the first Attempt prov'd fruitless the Snows and cold Season having obliged the Confederate Army to return to their Winter Quarters so that the Siege was not renew'd till five Weeks after The neighbouring Italian Princes finding them to persist in their Resolution were extreamly Alarm'd at it being sensible that the Emperour who had already under the Pretext of providing his Forces with Winter Quarters got a footing in Italy would by the Conquest of a Place of such Consequence open himself a way into Italy To ward this Blow these Princes took a Resolution either to endeavour to oblige the Allies to desist from this Attempt or else to intercede with our King to restore the said Place to the Duke of Mantua with its Fortifications rased under Condition that he should be reimbursed what this Place had cost him for which the said Princes engaged themselves to be Guarantees The King had bought this place for five Millions of Livres and it had cost him three more since without reaping any other Advantage by it than to be ready at hand to succour the Princes of Italy whereas we were obliged to maintain in it a constant Garrison of our best Troops who might be better employed elsewhere The King having well weighed the Matter and that our Army in Piedmont was at that time not strong enough to engage the Enemy or to oblige them to raise the Siege rather accepted their Propositions to rase the Fortifications of the Place than to sacrifise four or five thousand Men in the defence of it The Swiss Cantons and the Venetians having prevail'd with the Duke of Savoy to consent to this Treaty the Emperour and Spain were obliged to accept of the same Terms Casal Surrendred Accordingly Casal was surrendred on the tenth of July when the Enemies were not as yet Masters of any of the Outworks after thirteen days of opening of the Trenches Whilst the Confederates were before Casal the Grand Confederate Fleet which had been this Winter in the Spanish Ports appear'd continually upon the Cost of Provence to oblige our King to employ part of his Forces for the defence of his Sea-Coasts on that side and consequently prevent the sending of relief to Casal The Fleet was but in an indifferent Condition by reason of the great Mortality among the Seamen occasioned by the want of fresh Provisions and many other Necessaries which they could not be furnished withal but from England yet they appear'd so formidable that it was given out they intended to Bombard Thoulon and Marseilles but knowing us to be ready to give them a warm Reception they did not think fit to attempt it They were cruising the rest of the Summer in the Gulph of Lyons in the Seas of Cardaigne and Liguria and having been over-taken by a most violent Storm in which they lost five of their great Ships they came to an Anchor before Palamos Having received Intelligence that we began to equip at Thoulon they chose the open Sea cruising from one Place to another without any other Design than to pick up now and then some of our Privateers and to disturb our Commerce The Second Fleet of the Confederates in the Ocean consisted of Thirty great Ships St Malo bombarded Twenty Bomb-Vessels and many other Ships loaden with Ammunition and other Necessaries This Squadron bombarded St. Malo but did no further damage than to burn Ten Houses and to endamage several others the whole Loss being computed at One hundred thousand Livres But Dunkirk being the Place which the Enemy aim'd at they were so well prepared for their Reception that they appear'd rather like Men with hopes of a Victory than discourag'd with fear at the Approach of an Enemy the entrance of the Harbour being well provided with Batteries with Chains and a good number of Chaloops full of armed Men commanded by our best Marine Officers Attempt upon Dunkirk The first Bombs of the Enemies falling above two hundred yards distance from the Town the Inhabitants even to the Children got on the top of the Houses and upon the Bastions to be Spectators of this Bombardment Four Fireships approached the wooden Forts that defend the Mole but were met by the Chaloops who blew them up
into the Air in the open Sea in the Sight of the People the same Chaloops also boarded and took one of their great Ships which they set on Fire They threw in all betwixt eleven and twelve Hundred Bombs which did so little damage that it might be all repair'd for thirty Pistols In hopes of better Success Calais Bombarded the same Fleet Bombarded Calais twice in the Month of August But the loss sustain'd by both these Bombardments did scarce amount to ten thousand Crowns Another convincing Instance of what we said before that their Enterprizes at Sea succeed but seldom and that they rarely prove answerable to the vastness of their Expences The main effort of this Campaign as well as of most of the others was made on the side of Flanders The Armies Encamped very numerous in the Field on both sides and thirty Thousand brave Fellows lost their Lives without coming to a Field Battle For these three years last past the Confederates had formed a Design to attack our Lines to ravage our Conquests and to besiege Dunkirk To prevent their Design the King ordered new Lines to be made from the Schelde to the Lis and from Courtray to the Sea-side Twenty Thousand Pioneers made a Ditch of fourteen Thousand Foot long fifteen Foot broad and twelve Foot deep with an Entrenchment behind it of ten Foot high in less than eight days time These Lines being a fresh Obstacle to the design of the Prince of Orange King William III. he assembled the Confederate Army with all possible diligence near Ipres to endeavour to obstruct the Perfecting of this Work the Lines on that side being not quite brought to Perfection Our Army was above five and twenty Thousand Men inferiour in number to theirs and much harassed by a long March of twice four and twenty hours and consequently not in a condition without taking some repose to make any considerable resistance besides that not above one half of their Train of Artillery was arrived in the Camp The Confederate Army consisted of above an Hundred Thousand Men all fresh Troops provided with a prodigious Train of Artillery so that every thing seemed to concurr to their advantage but they let slip the opportunity of attacking us at the right nick of time for in a few hours after our Cannon arrived in the Camp and our Troops having refreshed themselves a little the Lines were brought to Perfection the next following Night Thus having miss'd their aim they made an attempt upon Fort Knock Attack of Fort Knock. which they attacked three several times and were as often repulsed with the loss of two Thousand Men so that in eight days time they had not got an Inch of Ground But a little time convinc'd the World that a much greater Design was carrying on under the pretence of this Attack For in the mean while the Prince of Orange King William III. had sent some of his best Troops towards the Mesue and so soon as he had received advice that the Troops of Liege and Brandenburgh had invested Namur he and the Elector of Bavaria followed in Person with the rest of the Army to assist at the Siege leaving only thirty Thousand Men under the Command of the Prince of Vaudemont in the Lower Flanders Namur was so well provided with every thing necessary for its defence that it was not questioned but it would make a long and vigorous resistance Lewis Francis Marshal of Bouflers had thrown himself into the place the same day it was Invested There was a Garrison in it of ten Thousand eight hundred Men many good Officers and a great number of brave Volunteers and Ammunition more than was requisite for its defence all which advantages appeared to be such obstacles to the Enemies that most were of Opinion they would be too many for them to surmount and that they would be forced to quit this Enterprize The Marshal de Luxenburgh died in the beginning of January of a Pleurisie Death of the Marshal de Luxenburgh which proved a considerable loss to the King there being not a General left who surpassed him in Experience and Conduct by which he had made his Name glorious to the World and dreadful to the Enemy The King having received news of the Siege sent his Orders to Francis de Neuville Villeroy Marshal of France who suceeded the Duke of Luxenburgh in the Command of the Grand Army in Flanders to enter the Lower Flanders and if possible to fight the Prince of Vaudemont Retreat of prince Vaudemont Pursuant to these Orders he advanced towards the Enemy who would infallibly have been put to the rout if the Prince pursuant to his Orders of avoiding any Engagement had not found means to make a safe Retreat so that in lieu of routing the whole Army of which in all humane appearance but few could have escaped we were forced to be contented with the defeat of two of their Regiments who were most of them cut to pieces in the Pursuit The most Fortunate Retreat that ever was made for if the Princes Army had been routed the Confederates must of necessity have raised the Siege of Namur Ten days after this retreat the Duke de Villeroy Besieged Dixmuyden The taking of Deinse and Dixmuyden which place surrendered in four and twenty hours Deinse opened its Gates at the approach of our Forces There were above eight thousand Men of well disciplin'd Troops in these two places who were all made Prisoners of War besides which we found the Magazine as full of all sorts of Ammunition and this part of the Country having been preserved on purpose by the Confederates our Soldiers got an incredible Booty By the Conquest of the two Places our Forces having open'd themselves the waytowards Ghent and Antwerp the Flemmings as well as the Hollanders were extreamly allarm'd at it especially when they saw them advance but slowly in the Siege of Namur tho' they were plentifully provided with every thing for a vigorous Attack and that they had the advantage of very fair Weather whereas at the time when we besieged it our Forces were not only to fight against the bravery of the Garrison but also against the Inconveniencies of a Rainy and Stormy Season They had raised before it thirty Batteries upon which were mounted an Hundred and thirty pieces of Cannon Siege of Namur by the Allies and Fourscore Mortars This dreadful Artillery play'd without Intermission against the Place as long as the Siege lasted in which they consumed three Millions of Powder Their Army was very formidable and constantly reinforc'd with fresh Troops what Place is able to hold out against such an Attack Notwithstanding all these Advantages the Confederates could not be Masters of the whole till after a Siege of two Months the Besieged like brave Soldiers disputing with them every Inch of Ground Of this we saw an Instance at the taking of the Entrenchments which were made only in haste at some
to his own Credit and Interest as to our King's Protection and the prudent Management of the then Bishop of Marseilles Coll. Johnson and the King's Ambassadour in Poland a great Politician and one of those extraordinary Persons who by their singular Merits become honourable to their Age and Highly Serviceable to the Church and State This King acquir'd immortal Glory about nine Years after when he left his Kingdom and marched in the year 1683 to the relief of Viena But ever since that time he had altred his measures and in lieu of prosecuting the War with vigour against the Infidels had given himself over to Idleness his main Care being to heap up such Treasures for his Children as to put them in a Condition either to obtain the Crown after his Death John Sobieski K. of Poland or at least to put them beyond the want of it whereas the best Treasure he could have left to his Children would have been to bless them with the Love of the People But these gave such evident demonstrations of the little esteem they had for his Family by pillaging his Estate during the Interregnum that it sufficiently appear'd to the World that his memory was become odious to them After the Death of this Prince a general Diet was call'd together in order to chuse a Successor to the Crown At this critical Conjuncture when most Princes of Europe were engaged in a War it was no wonder if each Party pretended to maintain their Interest at this Election The Election of a King of Poland inclining either to the Interest of France or the Confederacy being look'd upon at this juncture of time of such Consequence as to carry along with it no small Influence towards the raising or diminishing the Hopes of the Confederate Princes each Party therefore were not sparing in making Intrigues for or against the Interest of such a Person as they either wish'd to be elevated or excluded from the Throne of Poland Among the rest that pretended to the Crown was the present Czar of Muscovy His Empire is of a very vast extent Candidates for the Crown of Poland Czar of Muscovy reaching from the Boristhenes to the utmost Confines of the North and on the other side from the Frontiers of Sweden to the River Tanais It was represented to the Poles how glorious 't would be to their Nation to chuse a King who Commanded over so vast a Country but they wisely consider'd that their Liberty would be in no small danger under so Potent a Master who was able to bring them under Subjection by the Force of his own Arms. Duke of Lorrian The young Prince of Lorrain eldest Son to the late Prince Charles entred also the List of the Candidates not so much in hopes of succeeding in it as out of an Ambition of being put in the same Rank with the rest in his younger Years There was also much Discourse of Prince Lewis of Baden Prince Lewis of Baden This Prince was a great Master of the Art of War and had had great Success against the Infidels in Hungary whom he had vanquish'd at several times The Emperour in acknowledgment of his Services and the Prince of Orange K. William III. out of a particular Respect for his person would without all question have espoused his Interest if by joynt-consent of the Confederates it had not been judged more advisable to support the Faction of Prince James Sobieski Pr. James of Poland Brother-in-Law both to the Emperour and the Elector of Bavaria Every thing seem'd to concur for his Advantage He was eldest Son to the late King he wanted not Riches to purchase the Voices and Protection of the Great ones The Princes of Germany had espoused his Interest as well as the Dutch the Emperour and Prince of Orange K. William III. made use of all their Credit to promote his Elevation to the Crown But all these Advantages which in all outward appearance seem'd to be the most proper means to compass his Design prov'd perhaps the true cause of his Disappointment For his near Alliance with the House of Austria had raised a Jealousy in the Polish Lords lest he should when once their King improve it to their disadvantage and be encourag'd by the Neighbourhood of the Emperour to make use of his Power to the prejudice of their Liberty The pressing Sollicitations made in his behalf by the German Princes began to be suspected by the Populace by reason of a certain Jealousy and Emulation which is always to be observed betwixt two Potent neighbouring Nations He was as Liberal in his Promises to pay the Debts of the Crown in case he was elected King as profuse in his Money to gain the Hearts of the Poles but in vain nothing being able to remove the Aversion they had conceived against him The Confederates finding the Poles thus disposed began to despair of the Success of the Prince for which Reason they raised a new Faction for the Elector of Saxony The Elector promised to turn Catholick and there were not wanting those Elector of Saxony who assured them that he had abjured the Lutheran Religion two or three Months before notwithstanding that since that time he had made publick Profession of it He offered ten Millions for the Payment of Arrears due to the Army who during the time of the Interregnum had revolted for want of Pay He promised also to maintain at his own Cost fifteen thousand Men and never to make Peace with the Turks till he had restored all what they had taken from the Poles These specious Offers would perhaps have influenced the Poles to prefer the Elector before the rest if the Eyes and Hearts of the Polish Nobility had not been guided by the real Prospect of more solid Advantages The French Ambassador the Abbot Malehoor de Polygnack recommended to them Francis Lewis de Bourbon Prince of Conty Prince of Conty the eleventh Prince of the Royal Blood of France who promised to pay their Troops all their Arrears in ready Money and to retake Caminieck without the least Expence to the Commonwealth The Prince of Conty had gained the Esteem of all Europe not only by his Courage but also by many great and generous Actions and his unparallell'd Moderation He had Signaliz'd himself in the War in Hungary and since his Return had given many Demonstrations of his Valour to the World At Steenkirk and in the Battle of Neerwinden he had shew'd himself both an expert General and a brave Soldier These great Qualifications which made very favourable Impressions in the hearts of a War-like People received a new Lustre by our King's Recommendation to the Chief Men of Poland But this Negotiation met with no small Difficulties as being opposed by almost all the rest of the Princes of Europe The Ministers of these Princes insinuated without intermission to the Poles that to chuse a French Prince would be to put all
France takes Courtray Dixmuyden Furnes and Armentiers p. 65 Ausburgh League made against France here p. 193 Austria Ann of Queen of France the King's Mother and Queen Regent after the Death of Lewis XIII p. 2 Chuses the Cardinal Mazarine her Chief Minister p. 3 She is very desirous to marry the King with the Infanta of Spain p. 15 She presses the Spaniards to give Satisfaction to the King about the Just Pretensions of the Queen p. 64 Her Death p. ib. Austria Maria Theresia of Queen of France Spouse to LEWIS the Great p. 20 Makes her publick Entry in Paris p. 21 Her Just Pretensions upon some of the Provinces of the Low Countries p. 61 Nullity of her Resignation to the Succession of Spain p. 62 63 Her Death p. 170 B. Baden Prince Lewis of Baden Commands upon the Rhine Entrenches himself at the approach of the Dauphin p. 246 Had obtained two great Victories against the Turks p. ibid. Was one of the Candidates for the Crown of Poland p. 296 Barcelona besieged and defended with the utmost Bravery p. 305 Battles of Roeroy Rotheleiler Friburgh Nortlingen and Lintz p. 3 Of St. Anthony p. 5 Of St. Godard p. 57 Of Senef p. 117 Of Sintzheim p. 123 Of Entsheim p. 125 Of Turkheim p. 128 Of Cassel p. 146 Near Epoville p. 151 Of Flerus p. 219 Of St. Denis p. 163 Near the Boyne p. 224 Of Steenkirk p. 239 Of Neerwinden p. 248 Of Marsaglia p. 250 Near the River Ter. p. 258 Batteville Ambassadour of Spain his Enterprize against the Count Estrades the French Ambassadour p. 33 Bavaria Maria Victoria of Bavaria married to Lewis Dauphin of France p. 171 She has three Sons Her Death p. 285 Bavaria Charlott Elizabeth of Bavaria Dutchess of Orleance her Pretensions to the Succession of the Elector Palatine her Brother p. 194 Bavaria Maximilian II. Elector and Duke of Bavaria declares in favour of the Allies p. 207 He Assists with his Troops at the Siege of Mayence p. 216 Is present at the Great Council held at the Hague p. 226 Is made Governour of the Spanish Netherlands during Life p. 235 Commands the Spanish Troops at the Battle of Steenkirk p. 239 And at Neerwinden And all the following Campaigns p. 248 p. ibid. Bavaria Prince Clement of Brother to the Elector is elected Archbishop of Cologne when he was seventeen years old p. 201 Beauvilliers Paul Duke of Beauvilliers Governour of the Children of France p. 285 Beaumont taken by the Allies p. 228 Bellefonds Bernhard de Gigaut Marshal of France p. 66 Berry Charles of France Duke of Berry p. 285 Besanson Besieged and taken by the King p. 116 Brisseleau Francis defends Limerick in Ireland p. 225 Bombardment of Tripoli and Algiers p. 171 172 Of Genoa p. 172 Of Pignerol p. 250 Of St. Malo p. 252 p. 267 Of Diepe p. 261 Of Havre de Grace p. 262 Of Calais p. 262 268 Of Dunkirk p. 261 260 Of Brussels p. 273 Bonn taken by the Allies p. 218 Bossuet Jacobus Benignus Bishop of Meaux Preceptor of the Dauphine p. 170 Bouchern taken by the Duke of Orleance p. 134 Bouflers Lewis Francis Duke of Bouflers Marshal of France defends Namur p. 271 Commands one of the great Armies in Flanders p. 279 Bourbon Lewis Duke of Bourbon Son to Julius Prince of Conde signalizes himself at the Battle of Steenkirk p. 239 And of Neerwinden p. 248 Bournaville Prince of General of the Imperialists put to flight by the Viscount of Turenne p. 124 Brahe Count of Swedish Ambassadour in England what hapned at his publick Entry p. 33 Brandenburgh Frederick William Elector of go's into the Campaign to assist the Hollanders p. 99 Repasses the Weser upon the approach of the French Army p. 100 Makes Peace p. 101 Takes up Arms a second time p. 102 126 His success against the Swedes p. 159 Is obliged to restore what he had Conquer'd from the Swedes p. 160 161 Brandenburgh Frederick II. takes Keyserswert p. 215 Born p. 218 Reinforces the Army of the Allies after the Battle of Fleurus p. 220 Brisac A Chamber establish'd at Brisac p. 274 Bulls refused by Pope Innocent XI to those Bishops that had assisted at the Assembly of Clergy in the Year 1682. p. 187 Burgundy Lewis Duke of Burgundy Eldest Son of Lewis Dauphin of France p. 285 Burgundy The King obliges the King of Spain not to make use for the future of that Title p. 177 Burick Surrendred p. 87 C. Cadees Establishment of the Academies of Cadees p. 168 Calais The King falls dangerously ill in this Place p. 13 Bombarded See Bombardment of the French Callieres Francis Lord of Negotiates at the Hague p. 291 Plenipotentiary at the Treaty of Reswick p. ibid. Calvinism its first Origin Progress and Suppression in France p. 75 187 Calvo Francis Count of defends Mastricht p. 135 Cambray The City and Cittadel taken by the King p. 135 Campaigns of 1667. p. 65 Seq of 1672. p. 85 Of 1673. p. 101 Seq Of 1674. p. 113 Of 1675. p. 128 Of 1676. p. 134. Seq Camp of 1677. p. 139 Of 1678. p. 153 Of 1688. p. 203 Of 1689. p. 213 Of 1690. p. 218 Of 1691. p. 225 Of 1692. p. 231 Of 1693. p. 244 Of 1694. p. 253 Of 1695. p. 262 Of 1696. p. 276 Of 1697. p. 292 Campredon taken by the Marshal of Noailles p. 214 Caprara Count of General of the Imperialists p. 123 242 Carmagnole Surrendred p. 230 Carthagena taken and plundered by the French p. 307 Casal possess'd by the French p. 174 Is besieged by the Allies and dâ—molish'd p. 265 266 Castle Follet p. 264 Castile that Kingdom from before the Year 1017 only an Earldom p. 32 Catinat Nicolas de Marshal of France His Exploits in Savoy and Piedmont p. 223 230 250 Takes Aeth in Flanders p. 293 Cardaigne the Country of Conquer'd by the Duke of Noailles p. 229 Chenailly Marquiss of defends Grave with great Bravery p. 120 121 Charles II. King of Spain His Sickness p. 286 Charles II. King of England sells Dunkirk to the French King p. 47 48 Engages in a War against the Dutch p. 58 Enters with them into an Alliance p. 67 Declares War against them a second time p. 95 Makes Peace with them p. 110 Makes a new Alliance with Holland against France p. 153 Is acknowledged Mediator at the Peace of Nimhegen p. 157 Charles IV. Duke of Lorrain his Character Conduct in respect to the Spaniards p. 79 80 Defeats the Marshal of Crequy and takes him Prisoner in Treves p. 133 134 Charles V. Duke of Lorrain forced to repass the Rhine p. 151 Refuses the Alteration offered him by the King at the Treaty of Nimhegen p. 166 Charles Leopold his eldest Son is put in Possession of that Dutchy p. 309 Charleroy p. 265 100 149 Chartres Philip Duke of only Son of Philip of France Duke of Orleance is wounded at Steenkirk p. 239 Signalizes himself at Neerwinden p. 248 Chigi Cardinal Legat sent into France to
disown the Affront put upon the French Ambassador at Rome and to give Satisfaction for the same p. 45 Cheo p. 171 Choiseul Claudius Count de Marshal of France p. 280 Christine Queen of Sweden comes into France to see the King p. 10 11 Circles of Germany declar against the King p. 207 Clergy The Assembly of the French Clergy in the Year 1682. p. 184 Constine Armond du Cambout Duke de Peer of France wounded at che Passage of the Rhine p. 91 Colbert John Baptist Minister and Secretary of State his Character p. 28 29 Colbert Charles Marquis de Croissi French Plenipotentiary at Nimhegen p. 166 Cologne Affairs of Cologne p. 199 Compte French Compte Conquer'd p. 68 Restored p. ib. Conquer'd a second time p. 114 Conde Lewis of Bourbou II. Prince of his Victories and Character p. 5 Commands the French Army in Holland p. 86 Beats the Allies near Senef p. 117 Forces them to raise the Siege of Hagenau p. 132 Conde Henry Julius Prince of besieges and takes Limburgh p. 128 Coni the Siege raised p. 230 Conti Lewis Francis Prince of signalizes himself at Steenkirk and Neerwinden p. 239 248 Is Elected King of Poland p. 299 Corsairs of Africa chastised p. 171 Crequy Duke of is insulted at Rome by the Pope's Guards p. 39 40 Crequy Francis de Marshal of France Commands a flying Body p. 65 Defeats Marlin p. 66 Is routed by the Dukes of Zell and Lorrain p. 133 Forces Prince Charles of Lorrain to repass the Rhine p. 151 Takes Friburgh p. ibid. D. Darmstadt Landgrave of signalizes himself in the defence of Barcelona p. 301 Dauphin Lewis Dauphin of France only Son to LEWIS the Great His Birth and Education p. 170 171 Besieges and takes Philipsburgh p. 203 Commands in Germany p 224 Commands in Flanders p. 255 Prevents the Enemy from forcing the French Lines p. 256 Dauphin Invasion of the Allies of that Province p. 241 Deinse opens its Gate p. 270 Denmark delares against France p. 111 Conquers many places from the Swedes p. 159 Obliged to restore them p. 166 Makes a defensive League with Holland p. 288 Descent made by the English in Cameret-Bay p. 261 By the Dutch in a small Island p. 122 Diepe see Bombardment Diet of Ratisbonne p. 175 176 Differences betwixt France and Spain about the Precedency p. 33 Betwixt the Duke of Crequy and the Nephews of Alexander VII p. 41 Betwixt two Religious Orders about the Doctrine of Grace p. 70 Betwixt the Empire and France concerning the Limits p. 175 176 Betwixt France and Spain about the Limits in Flanders p. 178 About the Succession in the Palatinate p. 194 About the Franchises of the Ambassador's Quarters at Rome p. 196 Dinant taken by the Marshal de Crequy p. 128 Dixmuyden surrendred p. 178 56 Doesburgh surrendred p. 92 Dole besieged and taken by the King p. 97 Doway taken after a Siege of two days p. 116 Duells severely chastised p. 65 Dunkirk taken p. 13 Delivered up to the English p. 47 48 Bought by the King p. ibid. Bombarded see Bombardment Duquesne Lieutenant General of the King 's Marine Forces his Off-spring p. 137 Defeats Admiral Ruiter ib. Burns eight Tripolin Vessels in the Port of Chio. p. 171 E. Edicts of Nantes and Nismes p. 190 191 Emperour see Leopold Electors of the Empire declare unanimously against France p. 207 England subject to great Revolutions p. 210 Entrance of the King and Queen in Paris p. 20 Estrades Count d' afterwards Marshal of France his Difference with the Spanish Ambassadour Batteville in London p. 33 Plenipotentiary and French Ambassadour at Nimhegen p. 166 Estrees Francis Hannibal II. Duke d' Peer of France Ambassadour at Rome the Pope does not abolish the Franchises of Quarters till after his Death p. 196 Estree John Count d' Marshal and Vice-Admiral of France p. 171 Estree Caesar Cardinal d' sent to Rome to endeavour an Accommodation with Pope Innocent XI p. 184 F. Fariau defends Mastrick p. 103 Fenelon Francis de Polignac Fenelon Preceptor of the Children of France p. 285 Fleets see Sea-Fights Formular against the five Propositions of Jansenius subscribed p. 77 Fortifications above 220 are Erected by the King's Order since 1660. p. 168 France its Pre-eminency p. 30 31 Its Fertitility p. 253 254 Franchises of the Ambassadour's Quarters abolished by Innocent XI p. 196 Frankendahl taken p. 204 Friburgh taken p. 151 Granted to the King by the Peace of Nimhegen p. 160 Fuente Marquis of Spanish Ambassadour declares that the Ministers of Spain shall not dispute about the Precedency with those of France p. 37 38 Furnes taken p. 244 Furstenbergh William Eugene is seised at Cologne and carried to Viena p. 112 Chosen Co-adjutor of Cologne Innocent XI refuses to confirm it p. 201 202 G. Gap abandoned p. 242 Genneses disoblige the King p. 172 Genoa bombarded see Bombardment They send their Doge with four Senators to make their Submission to the King p 173 Ghnet besiged and taken by the King p. 154 156 Gigery taken abandoned p. 56 Guesne Archbishop of Primate of Poland calls together a Diet for the Election of a King of Poland p. ib. Proclaims the Prince of Conty King of Poland p. 299 Grave besieged and surrendred to the Prince of Orange p. 120 121 122 Gray taken p. 114 Gregory VII the first who pretended to depose an Emperour p. 186 Groll a strong Place taken p. 93 Guillestre in Dauphine p. 242 Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden p. 10 H. Hageneu besieged by Count Montecuculi raises the Siege p. 132 Harlay Nicolas Augustus de Count of Celi French Plenipotentiary at the Conferences of Frankfurt p. 175 And at the General Peace p. 291 Haw Don Lewis de Premier Minister of Spain p. 18 Havre de Grace see Bombardment Heidelbergh the Capital of the Palatinate taken by the Marshal de Lorge p. 246 Hesse Landgrave of raises the Siege of Eberenburgh p. 243 Holland the Commonwealth of its Origin Progress Reputation Varity p. 82 83 Loses above forty Places in one Campaign p. 84 Hollanders assisted by the King against the Bishop of Munster and the King of England p. 58 59 The Chief Promoters of all the Alliances against France see Leagues Humiers Marshal d' takes Aire p. 135 Is repulsed at Walecourt p. 214 Huy taken by the French p. 128 Retaken by the Allies p. 258 I. JAMES II. King of England retires into France p. 211 212 Passes over into Ireland p. 214 Returns to France after the Battle of the Boyne p. 225 Goes to the Sea-side in hopes of making a Descent in England p. 231 Jansenisme its Origin Progress and Condemnation p. 70 71 72 Janson Toussain Cardinal d' Bishop of Beauvais p. 294 Imperial Cardinal Governour of Rome comes into France to justifie himself p. 45 46 Innocent XI the Pope his Character writes three Briefs to the King about the Regale p. 182 Annuls the Acts of the Assembly of the French Clergy p. 185 Refuses his Bulls to the
the King's Houshold threw themselves into the River with an unparallell'd Resolution relying more upon their own Courage than the use of their Arms. The Rhine tho of a considerable breadth in this place yet runs with a Current so swift and violent as if it were forced through a very streight Channel Besides this it having blown a Storm the Night before the high Winds tossed dreadful Waves against the Shore which well might have terrified the Soldiers from attempting the Passage at that time but being by their King's Presence inspired with a Courage to despise all Danger neither the swiftness of the Current nor the dreadful appearance of the high Waves nor the sight of their Enemies who lay entrench'd on the other side ready to receive them nothing of all this could daunt their Courage or stop their Progress there were but a few lost in this Passage who being carried away from the rest by the violence of the Stream were swallowed up by the Waves or perished in the Whirlpools As they began to approach the other side of the Shoar they were vigorously attack'd by three Squadrons of the Enemy who being entred the River killed and wounded some of our Men but finding our Troops to advance without being daunted they after their first Charge retreated and betook themselves to their Heels Then it was that the French Horse encouraging one another by their joyful Acclamations reach'd the Bank of the River and tho they were all dropping wet pursued the Flying Enemy for above a League At the same time the Prince of Conde attack'd some Dutch Battallions that lay entrench'd at the Entrance of a Wood they were so terrified at the very sight of the French that in lieu of making good the Pass they threw down their Arms. The Prince promised them Quarter severely forbidding any Body to attack them but his Nephew the Duke of Longueville being ignorant of it committed an act of imprudence in firing one of his Pistols just near their Entrenchments which cost him his Life for the Enemy believing that they were advancing to cut them to pieces betook themselves again to their Arms and at their first Discharge killed the Duke with five more Persons of Quality and wounded a considerable number amongst whom was Armand du Cambout Duke of Cosselin a Peer of France and the Prince of Conde who was drawn thither by the noise and discharging of the Fire Arms was wounded by a Pistol-shot in his Wrist The French being exasperated at the loss of their Officers and Comerades cut most of the Enemy in pieces except some who saved themselves by flight The King in the mean while saw the other Regiments of Horse pass the River one after another Squadron by Squadron with less danger than before the great number of Horse that swam close together breaking in a great measure the violence of the Waves and swiftness of the Current The next Day following the Bridge being got ready all the Infantry pass over it with the whole Train of Artillery It is not to be express'd what a noise this Action so bravely undertaken and so prudently manag'd did make in the World the Prince of Orange for fear of being surprised thought it his best way to quit his Intrenchments and by long Marches retreated deeper into the Country The generality of the People being fill'd with Consternation put all the hopes of their Safety in the Mercy of their Conqueror which they endeavoured to purchase from his Hands by striving as it may be said who should be the first that should put themselves under his Protection The Soldiers got an incredible Booty wallowing for two Months together in Plenty and Riches Doesburg and Arnheim did not hold out above four and twenty Hours after opening of the Trenches The Fort of Skink Shencken Skans so famous both for its Strength and Situation and the long and vigorous Attacks it has so bravely sustained at other times surrendred before the opening of the Trenches The Forts of Woeren and St. Andrew did the same The City of Utrecht tho secured by several Places of good Strength sent the Keys of their Gates to the Victorious Enemy at a good distance All Places in the Betaw followed their Example and there were very few Cities upon the Rhine the Meuse the Wahle and Yssel but what readily opened their Gates and received Safeguards In the Province of Holland the Cities of Oudewater Voerden and Narden were also taken by the King's Forces and Amsterdam it self that proud and potent City was upon the point of Capitulating and notwithstanding all the brave Efforts of some of the Magistrates would have been forced to submit to the King's Conquering Arms if the Officer who commanded in our most advanced Quarters had not been careless in intrenching himself immediately in a small place called Muyden from whence we might have batter'd all their Ships going to Amsterdam a fatal Neglect which preserved the whole Province from falling into our hands Empires as well as other things have their certain Periods and Critical Minutes which if known and dexterously managed prove commonly fatal to them In the mean time Francis Henry de Montmorency Duke of Luxemburgh having with a considerable Body of Troops and many experienced Officers joined the Forces of the Bishop of Munster and of the Archbishop of Cologne who being dissatisfied with the Hollanders were re-entred into a League with the King against them had Conquered a third Province The Duke after having put Safeguards into seven or eight small places Besieged in conjunction with the Bishop of Munster the City of Groll This strong place having surrendred without making any resistance the Archbishop's Forces being joined with the rest they Besieged the City of Deventer which being soon forced to come to a Capitulation those of Zwoll and Campen and generally all the other Places of the Province of Overyssel followed their Example To make due reflection upon these surprising Events they appear so extraordinary and prodigious as to be almost past belief for it is scarce possible to imagin that so many brave Cities which hitherto had past for impregnable should without making any Defence have surrender'd at discretion especially if it be consider'd that most of them being provided with good Garrisons and that in a Country which for a considerable time had been accounted the School of War in Europe scarce any of their strong holds to have defended themselves above four and twenty hours except Zutphen and Nimeguen the first of which held out four and the last nine days But when People after the Fatigues of a tedious War enjoy the fruits of a glorious Peace they begin to abandon themselves to their pleasures which renders them careless of their own security and of improving Martial Discipline one of the Pillars of the State A Nation being thus inveigled and dazled with their present good Fortune are soon brought into confusion at the least mischance The Hollanders being reduced to
this extremity and seeing themselves in most imminent danger of becoming an absolute Prey to the K's Conquering Arms judg'd it most conducible to their present condition to sue for Peace for which reason the States deputed some to the King to know upon what terms he would be pleas'd to grant it and at the same time sent to Charles II. then King of England to be informed concerning his Pretensions against them For it is to be observed that it was not the French King alone who was offended at the Hollanders they had given great causes of complaint to the King of England by their Insolence both to him and his Subjects by troubling their Commerce and especially by fomenting divisions betwixt that Prince and his People which ever since the Peace concluded at Breda they had look'd upon as the main pont of their own security Our King being not ignorant in the Art of improving so favourable a juncture and how to represent the injuries receiv'd by the Dutch to King Charles II. it made so lively an impression upon that Monarch that he quitted the Triple-Alliance and declar'd open War to the Hollanders Having equipp'd a Gallant Fleet the same was joyn'd by the French in the Channel and the Dutch threatned with a most powerful Invasion by Sea but the Enemies had secured themselves so well at Sea and had provided a Fleet so numerous and well mann'd that when the Fleets of both Crowns engaged them on the 7th of June they could after a most bloody and obstinate Fight boast of no other advantage than to have chased them towards their own Coasts and made them retire to their own Ports The Propositions of Peace made by the two Kings were look'd upon by the Dutch as so extravagant and intolerable that they resolved rather to bury themselves in their own Ruins than to purchase the Peace at such a Rate Being therefore reduced to that Extremity as to be forced to take such Measures as were most suitable to their present desperate Condition they had recourse to their Sluces and Dikes which they opened and pierced through in many places and put the Country under Water to serve them as a Barricado against their Enemies who were upon the Point of snatching from them their so much admir'd Liberty The Remedy appear'd so dangerous in the Eyes of all the World that the most considered it to be of worse consequence than the Evil they feared but nevertheless it proved the real cause of their Safety For our King finding all his Measures broken by this insurmountable Obstacle left Holland leaving the Duke of Luxemburgh to Command in his Absence with Orders to take the opportunity of the approaching Winter to push on his Conquests with all the vigour imaginable under the favour of the Frosts and Ice At his Return into France the People charmed with his Presence after so Glorious a Campaign received him in Triumph and accompanied him through all places where-ever he pass'd with all the joyful Acclamations and Vows due to a Conqueror The Dutch Troops having taken new Courage after the King's Departure Besieged Voerden under the Command of the Prince of Orange with fourteen Thousand Men. All the Country round about it lay under Water there being only one Passage left to approach it which was a Dike on the side of Utrecht To cut off from the Town all Communication and hopes of Succours the Prince had caused two Forts to be erected on each side of the Dike and betwixt both a Battery strengthened with a good Intrenchment But all these Fortifications were not strong enough to frighten the Duke of Luxemburgh who after the Siege had lasted two Months advancing early in the Morning attack'd them in the Front but being repulsed there he was so far from giving over his Design that having caused the Depth of the Waters to be sounded and finding them not above four Foot deep in a certain place which he judged convenient for the Attack he led his Men with a marvellous Resolution through the Waters and taking them in Flank made himself Master of one of their Quarters on that side from whence assaulting the Forts he took them not without a great Slaughter on the Enemies side who being obliged to raise the Siege the Duke provided the place with a sufficient Garrison and marched back again to Utrecht with a considerable Booty and a good number of Prisoners of War The Prince of Orange raises the Siege of Voerden The bravest and most couragious Action that ever was undertaken especsally if it be considered that the Duke had not above three Thousand Men with him by reason that he was not joyn'd by some Troops which he expected to have met him in his March according to Orders and because that the French Troops were not very numerous at that time thereabouts the Viscount of Turenne having lately been reinforced from thence with a good Body of the best Regiments to observe the Motions of the Elector of Brandenburgh The more all the Neighbouring Princes were surprized at the stupendious progress of the King's Arms War with the Elector of Brandenburgh the more they judged it for their Interests to put a stop to his Conquests It is not to be imagined that it was so much out of Compassion or the Consideration of the deplorable Condition to which this so flourishing and potent Commonwealth had been reduced within the space of two Months that made them take these Measures to prevent its ruine by their assistance but their own Fears and Jealousies which represented to them Europe in Chains and as a Vassal of France if the King should Conquer the United Provinces what Wonder then if all were ready to lend a helping hand to preserve that from whence depended in a great measure their own Safeties whilst some therefore endeavoured to obtain their aim by secret Intrigues others presented themselves with their Swords in Hand The Elector of Brandenburgh was the first who shew'd himself most concern'd for the Preservation of the Dutch whether it was that their Money had had more influence over him than the rest and made him more Zealous for their Interest or whether it were that he was dissatisfied at our King for not restoring to him some Places which belonged to him and were taken by our Troops from the Dutch I will not pretend to determine It is unquestionable that he was a Prince very aspiring and ambitious one of the bravest Men living and of great Experience in Martial Affairs who maintain'd at that time an Army of twenty five Thousand Men who wanted to be employed some where or other Add to this the Sollicitations of his Nephew the Prince of Orange who earnestly intreated him to employ his Forces for the Relief of Holland which might serve as the most effectual means in the World to establish his Reputation among them So sure it is that all the Ties of Consanguinity are weak if not strengthned and link'd
thousand Men which he ordered to march towards the Rhine At their approach the Viscount of Turenne who was General of the King's Army on that side met them as far as in Franconia in hopes to draw them to a Battle but they being careful in avoiding an Engagement the Viscount could not prevent them from passing the Rhine in conjunction with the Prince of Orange and besieging Bonn. This place was without a Ditch its Fortifications being not quite brought to perfection notwithstanding which the French Governor with his Garrison consisting only of fifteen hundred Men defended himself so valiantly against so powerful an Army composed of three several Nations that they did not become Masters of it till after a fourteen Nights Siege As the Conquest of this City as well as that of Naerden Siege of Bonn. a small but well Fortified Place in Holland taken from us in the foregoing Month of September by the Prince of Orange seem'd to be the happy Fore-runners of the good success of this Alliance so the Emperor and Spain flatter'd themselves with the hopes of all those Advantages which the Dutch Ministers had put them in hopes of when they enter'd into the League The Emperor enter'd into the Alliance not only upon that score as having in view thereby to put a stop to the greatness of France which if it should over-run Holland and the Low-Countries would like an impetuous Torrent spread all over Germany but as looking upon this as a favourable juncture to encrease his Authority in the Empire It is very well known that for a considerable time past it has been the main design of the House of Austria to make themselves absolute in Germany by reducing these Princes under their Obedience This seem'd to be the most Critical juncture that could be to put this so long projected design in execution the Kings Conquests in Holland and his taking the City of Treves were the most plausible pretences in the World to bring a good Army into Germany without giving any suspicion to these Princes whom they hop'd to ruin one after another by drawing them into the Quarrel under the glorious pretext of taking up Arms for the defence of the Empire As for what concern'd the Spaniards they were cajol'd into a League by the fair promises of the Dutch who offer'd no less than the Restitution of Maestrick after it should be retaken and engaged themselves not to make either Peace or Truce with us before the French King should have surrender'd to them all what he had taken from them since the Pyrenean Peace A meer Tinsey wherewith to dazzle the Eyes of the Spaniards their intention being to keep no further to their promises than they should find it suitable to their own Interest as it sufficiently appear'd at the Treaty of Nimeguen when they oblig'd the Spaniards to accept of the same Propositions as they were projected by our King The Alliance of so many powerful Princes seem'd to foretel something extraordinary against France but thinking themselves not in a condition to undertake any thing of moment unless strengthen'd by the Power of England they left no stone unturn'd all that Winter to bring that King over to their side But all their great offers and fair promises would have proved fruitless upon this King who stood immoveable in his Resolution of adhering to our Interest if at last some of the Parliament Men who being perhaps overcome with the charms of the Dutch Gold Peace betwixt England and Holland had not pressed so hard upon that King that being no longer able to resist their importunities he made Peace with the Hollanders without declaring against France Our King was no considerable loser by the conclusion of this Peace his chiefest loss consisting in the recalling of a few English Troops for what had been concerted betwixt these two Kings about a Descent to be made upon the Dutch Coast had been found impracticable they having been sufficiently convinced by Experience that nothing of great moment ought to be expected from Sea Engagements as to the decision of the Fate of a War witness those three several Sea fights betwixt the Fleets of the two Kings and that of the Dutch in all which the ballance appear'd so little different that it was no easie matter to determine which of them ought with Justice carry away the Honour of the Victory there having been scarce any other advantage obtained on either side but to make a great noise without doing any considerable hurt Thus the Hollanders imagined that being now Masters at Sea they could not want an opportunity of ravaging our Coasts and to make themselves Masters of some places in France but they have been sufficiently convinc'd by their ill Success that unless an Enemy be assured of a good Port it is a very difficult task to make a Descent and cannot be undertaken without vast Charges which scarce ever quit cost However the Peace betwixt England and Holland appear'd to be the Signal to all the other Princes of Germany who now began to throw off the mask one after another and declar'd against us except the Elector of Bavaria and the Duke of Hanover who continued stedfast in their Neutrality For the Electors of Saxony Mayence of Treves and the Elector Palatin Germany and Denmark enters into a League as well as the Landtgraves of Hesse and Princes of Baden with most of the Circles of Germany did immediately take up Arms in favour of the Alliance The Elector of Cologne and Bishop of Munster left our Party to embrace that of the Allies and tho' the King of Denmark the Dukes of Brunswick and the Elector of Brandenburgh did not immediately declare against France yet did they engage in the Alliance from that time and promised to put themselves in a posture of assisting and promoting the common cause Now it was that the Hollanders had all the reason in the World to rejoyce at their good Success seeing they had by their good Management transferred the Burthen of the War from their own into their Neighbours Countries the King surrounded on all sides by his Enemies which the Dutch had raised against him having been obliged to abandon all his Conquests in the United Provinces except Grave and Mastricht which served to bridle them to make use of these Garrisons against the numerous Armies of the Allies Notwithstanding all these Advantages the States desired nothing so much as Peace considering that having now recovered what they had lost it would be very hard for them to maintain at their own Charge a War where now they had no further Interest but what they had in common with their Allies After a whole Twelve Months Debate about a Peace all Parties concern'd having at last accepted the Mediation of the King of Sweden sent their Plenipotentiaries to Cologne the place appointed for the carrying on of the Treaty The Conferences were frequently interrupted by several Accidents and new Difficulties which
the Dutch would in all likelihood have been forced to quit the Enterprise if the Governour the Marquiss of Chamilly had not received Orders from our King to Capitulate who after he had given a thousand Proofs of his Conduct and Courage surrendred upon such Conditions as he himself thought fit to propose the Prince of Orange being willing enough to grant him any thing partly in consideration of his Bravery partly for fear lest the Siege by the obstinate Defence of the Besieged should protract till Winter when the Season would oblige them to raise it The Garrison was extreamly diminished not so much by the Enemies Swords as by Sickness and tho' they were streightned for Provisions yet were they resolved to have endured all the extremities and bury themselves under the Ruins of the Place if the King who would not suffer that so many brave Men should Sacrifice themselves for the defence of a Place which he judged of no great consequence to his Affairs had not sent them his Orders to Capitulate The King had at the beginning of the War made himself Master of this Place without the loss of one single Man but the Dutch did not take it till after a Siege of three Months with a prodigious Charge and the loss of twelve thousand Men besides they run no small hazard of coming off with disgrace But they were less successful in their Expedition at Sea this Year they had near an hundred and fifty Men of War and after the Peace with England were become absolute Masters of the Ocean the King having sent most of his great Ships into the Mediterranean One part of this great Fleet was sent to endeavour the Conquest of the French Plantations in the West-Indies the rest were to be employed in making a Descent upon our Coast but the best concerted measures prove not always infallible For Admiral Ruiter did not succeed in his Enterprise against the Isle of Martinico and Admiral Trump who for four or five Months threatned our Coasts with a desent did no other feats but to Land in a small Island from whence he carried away some Cattel and plunder'd a certain Abby The ill success of the Allies in this Campaign seem'd to be very ill presages to the League especially if it be taken into consideration that the King's Arms were Crown'd with the same success in several other places for Frederick Duke of Schomberg had beaten the Spaniards in the Plains of Russilion as the Vicount of Turenne had been Victorious over the Germans in three or four several Encounters For after he had prevented the Duke of Lorrain from passing the Rhine and consequently secur'd the King's Conquests on that side he receiv'd Orders to hinder if possible the conjunction of the Duke with a Body of Imperialists commanded by the Imperial General the Count of Caprara Pursuant to these Orders he marched three Days and Nights without intermission and on the fourth came within sight of the Enemy whom he found so advantageously posted that it seem'd impossible to attack them without the greatest hazard in the World For they were drawn up in order of Battle upon a rising Ground being secured in the Front by a small Town with a deep Rivulet and many Hedges and Ditches all which must be pass'd before they could be attack'd But what is so strong or inaccessible to a Man who has an equal share of Conduct and Courage To be short the Town was taken in less than two Hours and the Enemies Infantry which defended it either cut in pieces or taken Prisoners But this was only the Introduction to the rest our Troops were extreamly fatigued with so long a March and the heat of the Season besides that the Enemy having the advantage of the Wind they were incommoded with the Smoak and Dust which almost choak'd them as they advanc'd towards the Enemy where the Enemy stood ready to receive them Notwithstanding all these disadvantages they were resolute in attacking them the Viscount of Turenne's Army consisted of nine or ten thousand Men and that of the Duke of Loerain was near equal in number to his with this difference only that the last had more Horse the other exceeded in Foot The first attack was made with equal bravery on both sides there being not a Squadron but what charged four or five times and the Dukes Forces rallied and return'd to their charge seven or eight times neither were they put to the rout till after a bloody and obstinate Fight of eight Hours About three Weeks after the Prince of Bourneville General of the Imperial Forces being with a Body of seven or eight thousand Men joyn'd to the broken remainders of the Confederate Army July 6th The Viscount of Turenne passed the River Neckar at Ladenburgh in sight of them and followed them so closely that he fell in with their Rear which he put to the rout forcing their Infantry to seek for shelter among the neighbouring Woods and Mountains but their Horse being briskly pursued by the French did not face about till they came to Franckfort twenty Leagues from thence where being cover'd by the River Maine the Viscount could not pursue them any further but they were scatter'd to that degree that they were not in a condition to appear again in the Field till being reinforced with fresh Supplies and Troops from the Emperor from the Elector Palatin the Elector of Cologne Bishop of Munster Duke of Wolfenbuttel and all the neighbouring Circles they made up an Army of thirty five or thirty six thousand Effiective Men. But this great Body was commanded by five Generals independant from one another who being swayed by so many different Interests did not agree in what measures to take one being for the attempting the recovery of the Dukedom of Lorrain another for the Siege of Treves or Philipsburgh another for attacking the Viscount of Turenne with their joynt Forces thereby to retrieve their former disgrace The French Army was at that time not above fifteen thousand strong but the renown of their General and their late Victories had made them so dreadful to the Enemy that they durst not attempt to attack them With this small Army he kept them in play for two Months together in the Lower Alsace till having at last receiv'd a reinforcement of some Regiments he march'd directly against the Allies to give them Battle before they could be joyn'd by the Elector of Brandenburgh's Forces and those of the Duke of Brunswick The Name of the Viscount of Turenne famous by so many Victories was become so terrible to the Enemy that most were of opinion they would scarce care to face him but beyond all expectation they receiv'd him with all imaginable bravery so that the fight was very obstinate and dubious for some time till at last Victory of Entsheim Octob. 4. having brought them into confusion they were forc'd to quit the Field with the loss of three thousand Men ten pieces of Cannon
and thirty Colours and Standards The French were so eager in the pursuit that the Enemies to fly with the more conveniency threw away their Cuirasses and Arms of which there was a great quantity found all round about the Field of Battel This Action as brave as it was yet was not the most glorious of this Campaign For the Allies having been joyn'd by the Troops of Brandenburgh and Brunswick Zell about the middle of October were near threescore and ten Thousand strong in the Field an Army so numerous it was fear'd would like a Deluge over-run all our Conquests on that side but that the King with an incredible resolution without being in the least surprized at their number knew by his Prudence so to manage the Matter that all their Designs turn'd to their own disgrace For immediately after the raising of the Siege of Oudenarde he had ordred a considerable Detachment from Flanders into Germany to join with all possible speed the Viscount of Turenne at the same time he dispatch'd his Orders to him to keep upon the Defensive and as much as possibly could be to provide for the security of those Places which were of most consequence The King wisely foresaw that this vast Multitude would soon be forced to disperse by reason of the Divisions that were among the Generals for want of sufficient Magazines and the Incommodities of the Season which must needs occasion many Diseases among the Souldiers or that at last whenever they should come to separate themselves there could not be wanting an opportunity to engage and vanquish them Accordingly the Viscount of Turenne quitted his Camp to secure a certain Port so convenient and commodious for its situation that with his small Army he conquered both Haugenan and Saverne The Allies who did not judge it adviseable to attack him in this advantageous Post marched directly into the Upper Alsace with an intention to take up their Winter-Quarters in this Province and so to march in the Spring directly either into Lorrain or the Franche Compte thus they lived at discretion for the space of two Months over secure in their own strength till the Viscount of Turenne beat up their Quarters and sent them back to the other side of the Rhine After he had received the abovementioned Reinforcement from Flanders his Army consisted of scarce five and twenty Thousand Men and tho he was sufficiently informed of the strength of the Allies who had near three to one against him he marched in the Month of December taking a great compass about as if he were retiring from before them and shunning to come to an Engagement Thus in lieu of taking the direct Road he marched through Lorrain and having traversed the Mountains without any other Obstacle but what proceeded from the natural situation of these Hills Dec. 29. and the inconveniencies of a far advanced Season he entred the Plains where he found the Enemies scattered up and down in a fatal Security without the least Apprehension of danger from an approaching Enemy at the sight of whom they were struck with such terrour that they were above half vanquish'd before they were attack'd fourteen French Squadrons a thing incredible if it were not unquestionable that when an Army is seized with a sudden and general Consternation they have no leisure to reflect upon the number of the approaching Enemy having passed the River Illin a place which they found fordable put their whole Cavalry to Flight Being recovered from their first Consternation Victory of Turkheim 5th Jan. 1675. they resolved to stand the Brunt at a place call'd Turkheim but with no better success than before they being routed a second time and forced to retreat in great confusion to the Rhine which they repass'd on the 11th of January in the Year 1675. there being not above twenty thousand left of that vast Army the rest were either taken Prisoners or perished by the Sword Famine Debaucheries and Distempers All these Victories as they were the happy Products of the King's Vigilancy Campaign of 1675. and the Bravery of his Soldiers so they struck such a Terrour among his Enemies that they were resolved to try their utmost the next following Campaign The King finding their Preparations suitable to their Designs set out early in the Spring for the Army and having ordred the Seige of Dinant and Huy after the Reduction of these two Places the first by the Marshal de Crequy the second by Henry Lewis Dalenny de Rochfort likewise Marshal of France the City of Limburgh famous for its strength and being the Capital of the Province of the same Name was immediately Besieged by Henry Julius Duke of Enguen since Prince of Conde which was forced to surrender within eight Days after It is true the Governour of the Spanish Netherlands in conjunction with the Prince of Orange marched to its Relief with an Army consisting of fifty Thousand effective Men but finding at their approach that the place was surrendred they retreated without doing any thing further that Campaign than to consume all the Forage in Brabant and to ruine their own Territories But Germany was the Theater of War where the most glorious Actions were performed during this Campaign Fortuneseeming to keep an equal Balance betwixt Us and the Allies on that side The Enemies Army upon the Rhine appearing more numerous in the Field than it had done any time since the beginning of this War The last Campaign there had been so many Factions as there were Generals among them that to speak impartially they were without a Head to Command them But now things appear'd with quite another Face the whole Army being Commanded by the Count of Montecuculi the same who two Years before had the chief Command of the Imperial Army upon the Rhine He was an old and experienced General very well versed in the whole Art and all the Stratagems of War always upon his Guard whose Ambition was not so much to gain any particular advantage upon his Enemy as to bring a whole Campaign to a happy Conclusion The Viscount of Turenne General of the King's Army on the Rhine was not inferiour to him either in Experience or any other Qualification belonging to a Great General and it may be said without Flattery that his Name was more famous and his Reputation better established by an infinite number of glorious Actions in all which he had given most ample demonstrations to the World that never any General was comparable to or at least never surpassed him in the Art of War Among the most Renowned Heroes in former Ages who by their great Actions and Conquests have rendred their Names so famous to Posterity there are few who can boast of the same Skill wherewith this Great General used to Discipline his Troops to provide them with all Necessaries and to make use of all Advantages to thwart the Designs of his Enemies It was without all question a thing worth the notice and
attention of all Europe to see these two great Captains to use their utmost Endeavours to outvie one another in their swift Marches in their Encampments and to make use of all the most refined Stratagems to prevent one another from gairing the least advantage The Viscount de Turenne had nevertheless the good Fortune to pass the Rhine almost in sight of the Confederate Army which done he possess'd himself of so advantageous a Post that without the least fear of being forced in his Entrenchments he might cut off the necessary Convoys from the Enemy An Action so Glorious which had broken all the Measures of his Rival at one stroke was look'd upon by all Europe to be equivalent to a Victory But the Viscount de Turenne not satisfied with this Advantage unless he had also routed the Confederate Army had enclosed them so narrowly on all sides that it was impossible for them to march off without coming to handy Blows In order to this he went out of his Camp on the 27th of July to view a certain place where he intended to raise a Battery the better to annoy the Enemy where he was unfortunately slain by a Cannon-shot The Death of the Marshal de Turenne which struck against his Breast and laid him dead upon the Ground Never was any General more universally lamented neither did ever any one deserve it better He was a Person of extraordinary Merit a Great Captain and excellent Politician a Man equally modest and agreeable in Conversation who despised Riches and was an Enemy to Pride who was never backward in doing all the good he could and never known to do harm to any Body all his Passion being directed to glorious Actions It is not to be express'd how sensibly the King was touch'd with the loss of so great a Man he heap'd Honours and Riches upon his Family The Viscount dyed without Children and to give the most ample Testimonies of the Value he put upon his pass'd Services and to Crown the Vertues of so great a Man with due Rewards he caused most magnificent Obsequies to be made in the Church of Paris and order'd his Corps to be deposited in the Abbey of St. Denys the ordinary Burying place of the Kings of France But the greatest ornament of the whole Funeral Pomp was the inexpressible sorrow which appear'd in the Countenance of all the Chief Men of the Kingdom and the everlasting Memory of his great and Glorious Actions But to return to the Rhine the Viscount de Turenne having not communicated his design to any of his Lieutenant-Generals the Count de Lorge his Nephew afterwards made Duke Peer and Marshal of France took upon him the Command of the Army and immediately after his Death repass'd the Rhine and intrench'd himself on the other side till further Orders from the King The Enemy during his Retreat Attack'd him in the Rear but were so vigorously received by the French that they lost above four thousand Men upon this occasion nevertheless the Count de Lorge was not strong enough to prevent Montecuculi from passing the Rhine and marching into the Lower Alsace The French Army was at that time in a very ill Condition in want of Provision and Forage much diminish'd by Sickness and Mortality and so dejected by the loss of their General that it was feared they would have been quite dispersed if the Prince of Conde who by the King's Orders posted in all haste thither from Flanders had not found means to raise their drooping Courage by his Presence Notwithstanding which the Count of Montecuculi laid Siege to the City of Hagenau in August and in the Month of September following fat down before Saverne but upon intelligence that the Prince was marching to their Relief he quitted both these Enterprizes At last towards the latter end of the Campaign the Imperialists were obliged to repass the Rhine and to take up their Winter-Quarters in the Confederate Territories But the Dukes of Zell and Lorrain had much better Success in the Siege of Treves Siege of Treves For these Princes being advertized that the Marshal de Crequy at the Head of an Army was marching to the Relief of the Place left a good Body for the guard of their Trenches and other Works and march'd with a Body of near twenty Thousand Men to meet the Enemy The Marshal had not above nine or ten Thousand Men with him notwithstanding this inequality of their Number he resolved to try his Fortune There are certain happy Moments when we have known a handful of brave resolute Fellows to have driven before them and cut in pieces a whole Army but these Fortunate Moments are so rare that it is more expedient to relie upon the number and equality of our Troops than upon these Accidents To be short Defeat of the Marshal de Crequy this Day proved unfortunate to the Marshal de Crequy for his Infantry being ill seconded by the Cavalry he was entirely defeated and his small Army put to the Rout and dispersed in such a manner that he himself with only three more was forced to shelter themselves in an adjacent Wood from whence he found means to get into Treves He defended the place for three Weeks after with incredible Bravery against his Victorious Enemy and would not-hearken to any Propositions of Surrender tho all the Out-works were taken and that there were several large Breaches in the Walls of the Place The Garrison headed by some mutinous Officers were so exasperated at this desperate Resolution that they resolved to capitulate without him and accordingly surrendred him and many other of the French Officers to the Allies This being the first Campaign which since the beginning of this War had proved prosperous to the Confederates they were so puffed up with their late Success that forgetting their former Misfortunes and the many Advantages we had over them they began to boast that in the next Spring they intended to put their so long projected great design in execution But it was not long before the King made them sufficiently sensible that by the loss of a Place and four or five Thousand Men he was not become less powerful than before For after having Besieged and Taken the City of Conde by assault Conde taken April the 26th towards the latter end of April he ordred the Duke of Orleans to Besiege Bouchain whilst he himself with the head Army covered the Siege to make head against the Enemy in case they should come to its relief The Governour of the Spanish Netherlands and the Prince of Orange brought together a good Army in order as it was believed to attempt the Relief of the Place but judging it not advisable to attack the King they entrenched themselves under the Cannon of Valenciennes in hopes to meet with a favourable opportunity to throw some Supplies of Men and Provisions into Bouchain but they reap'd no other advantage by it than to be Eye-Witnesses of
the occasion of rekindling the Flames and renewing the War with more Vigour and Animosity than before the Emperour and Spain not being wanting to lay hold of this Opportunity to revive the Jealousies and to perswade the Hollanders that the King had no real Inclination for Peace his only design being by withdrawing them from the Confederacy to surprize them hereafter with the more ease Our King had given most evident Proofs of his sincere Intentions for the Peace to promote which he had recall'd his Forces out of Sicily under the Command of Francis de Aubusson la Feuillade Duke Peer and Marshal of France he had at the Intercession of the Hollanders The French leave Sicily prolonged the Term which he had fixed to the Allies for the accepting the Propositions of Peace and tho he had within the last Month extended his Conquests both in Flanders and Catalonia by the taking of two considerable places yet was he so far from taking any advantage of his good Fortune that on the other hand he offered to restore them without any equivalent But notwithstanding all these Demonstrations of his most fervent Inclinations for Peace Matters hung in suspense for some time neither could the Treaty be brought to a Conclusion till the King of Sweden declared by his Ambassadors That he not only consented but also prayed His Most Christian Majesty to restore the above mentioned Places to Spain and not to delay any longer to give Peace to Europe on account of the particular Interest of the Crown of Sweden This grand Obstacle being removed the Peace was signed betwixt the King and the States the 10th Day of August in the Year 1678. Within four Days after the Prince of Orange attack'd the Duke of Luxemburgh who whilst they were contesting at Nimeguen kept Mons block'd up with an Army of forty Thousand Men. Peace of Nimeâ—uen The Prince of Orange had in view no less than the breaking off of the whole Treaty or at least to obtain some more advantageous Conditions if he happened to succeed in this Enterprize The Duke of Luxemburgh could not in the least suspect his Intention as having received fresh Assurances that the Peace was signed Engagement near St. Denis but by his brave Resolution he diverted the danger that he had put himself into by his being too confident of his own Security by the Peace The Action was very bloody which was ended at Night without any considerable Advantage on either side unless that the Enemy retired in some Confusion and were pursued to their Camp The next Day there was a Cessation of all Hostilities the Peace was proclaimed the same Day in the Camp and ratified within a Month after After the Conclusion of this Treaty with the Dutch the Spaniards found themselves under an indispensible necessity to accept of those Conditions the Hollanders had procured for them It was in vain for the rest of the Confederates to make use of all their Perswasions and Intrigues to prevent the Spaniards from accepting of them who signed the Peace on the seventeenth of September following This done the King without losing any further time order'd his Troops towards the Rhine with an Intention to attack the Emperour and Empire with the utmost vigour before the Winter some of the German Princes dreading the Storm that threatned them began to withdraw from the rest and to make their Applications to the Spaniards and States-General to be comprehended in the Treaty But Spain pursuant to asecret Agreement as it was supposed betwixt those two Branches of the House of Austria made several Delays in the Ratification of the Peace so that the time prefixed for the said Ratification notwithstanding it had been twice prolonged at the Request of the Dutch was very near expired In the mean while the French Forces made frequent Excursions into the very Heart of Flanders not sparing even those places that had hitherto escaped from being visited by them they exacted such vast Sums from all the circumjacent Country and pillaged all such as refused to pay them Contributions that according to the computation and confession of the Enemies themselves the flat Country suffered more from the time of the signing till the Ratification of the Treaty than it had done in the heat of the War The Cries and Lamentations of the People did at last overcome the Resolution of the Spanish Council who in spite of all the opposition made by the rest of the Allies caused the Peace to be ratified in December in the Year 1678. Immediately after the King order'd his Ambassadors at Nimeguen to declare to the Emperour's Ministers that in case their Master did not think fit to accept of the same Conditions as they had been proposed in the Project of the General Peace within a limited time that after that there should be no further talk of Peace This Declaration and the fear they were in of the King's Forces that were approaching the Rhine made the Emperour and Empire at last resolve rather to chuse the Harbour than to expose themselves in the open Sea to so dreadful a Tempest as threatned their Destruction Thus a Peace was concluded betwixt the Emperour and our King in the Month of February in the Year 1679. upon condition that the Peace of Munster should remain in its full force and that the Emperour should resign all his Right and Soveraignty over the City of Friburgh and the whole Alsace to our King During the Treaty at Nimeguen the King at the Intercession of the Emperour and the rest of the Confederates had left it to the choice of Prince Charles of Lorrain whether he would accept of the Possession of the Dutchy of Lorrain without that of Bar pursuant to the Pyrenean Treaty or whether he would be satisfied if the King restored him to the Possession of both those Dutchies reserving only to himself the City of Nancy and all the Grounds and Highways by which the King's Armies were to march into Germany The Prince at first chose the last of these two but soon after repenting his Choice refused to accept either But tho the Peace was signed betwixt the Emperour and the King the King of Denmark and Elector of Brandenburgh protested against it continuing to make vast Preparations to maintain themselves in their Conquests taken from the Swedes in Germany But when the French Troops began to approach the Frontiers of Brandenburgh these Princes were foon brought to a compliance and shew'd as much eagerness for the Peace as they had shewn aversion against it before The King of Sweden received full satisfaction they being obliged to restore all that had been taken from that Crown without any other Equivalent but a good Sum of Money which was paid them by our King It will without all question appear surprizing and perhaps past belief to Posterity how France should have been strong enough to withstand so many Enemies at one time and that after they had been vanquish'd
had leisure given them to put themselves in a posture to receive them It is in vain to chose ones time unless it be improved to the best advantage For in the mean time the Duke of Luxemburgh order'd his best Battallions to advance with all speed who being posted where the Enemy must Attack us sustained by the Troops of the King's Houshold and these again by several other Bodies of Horse The Pass was so narrow that not being able to extend our Lines in Front we were forced to double them For the first two hours they fir'd most terribly on both Sides the Battallions advancing so near that they discharged their Musquets cross one another The Enemy fir'd more briskly than we for some time they got Ground of us and made themselves Masters of four of our Pieces of Cannon but the French perceiving that their Musquets were not likely to do the Work threw them down and being led only by their Officers but esspecially by the Princes the Duke of Chartres the Duke of Bourbon the Prince of Conty Duke de Maine and others charged the Enemy with their Swords in hand so furiously that they forced them to retreat many of whom were cut in pieces the rest saving themselves in an adjacent Wood. They were pursued for an hour after and the Field of Battle for a League together was covered all over with dead Carcasses which in some places lay six Foot high upon one another This Victory cost us two or three Thousand of our best Men among whom were many Persons of Merit and Quality especially the Prince of Turenue eldest Son to the Duke of Bovillon who died the day after the Battle of his Wounds The loss of the Enemy amounted to nine Thousand kill'd upon the spot and as many wounded We took nine Colours and ten pieces of Cannon but only thirteen hundred Prisoners the English refusing to ask Quarter It was much about the same time that the Duke of Savoy made an Irruption into the higher Dauphine The Duke of Savoy invades France in August where he lost abundance of his Men without striking a stroke The Confederates had for a considerable time before formed a Project of entring Dauphine and Provence flattering themselves with hopes that the new Converts would revolt and join them from all Parts of France To put their so long projected Design in execution the Governour of Milan and the Imperial General Caprara joined with their Troops the Duke of Savoy They carried along with them Arms for thirty Thousand Men and were provided with Ministers who in all places through which they passed endeavoured in their Sermons to sow the Seed of Rebellion and Calvinism among the People But they found themselves entirely mistaken in their Expectation the new Catholicks being so far from shewing the least Inclination for a Revolt that they were the most forward upon all Occasions to do what Mischief they could to the Enemy by drawing them into Ambushes and killing without Mercy all such as they met with stragling or otherwise detach'd from their main Body This was the Reason why the Confederates made but little Progress and their proposed Conquest turn'd to a very slender Account They took Guillestre in three days Ambrun held out six Gap being only provided with ten Men to keep the Gates receiv'd them without the least Resistance Guillestre is at present no more than a Country Town without any other Defence but two old ruin'd Bastions Ambrun is indeed a small City but defended only by a single Wall But the Besieged supplying the defect of their Fortifications by their own Courage defended the Place so well that the Enemies nemies were not Masters of it but with the Loss of above fisteen hundred Men. Thus ended this Expedition of the Duke of Savoy who being faln ill and finding his Army considerably diminished by Sickness and Fatigues repassed the Alpes carrying no other Spoils along with him but the Bells of Ambrun and Gap In the same Month the Marshal de Lorge obtained a Victory over six thousand German Horse in the Country of Wirtembergh if the Pursuit of a flying Enemy vanquish'd without effusion of Blood may be dignified with that Name For no sooner did the German Horse perceive the Vant. Guard of the King's Army but they betook themselves to flight The Germans routed near Phortzheim towards the latter end of August nine hundred of them were kill'd in the pursuit and six hundred taken Prisoners among the last was the Duke of Wirtembergh who commanded this Body in Chief The City Phortsheim was taken the next day by our Forces where they had laid up all their Provisions for the rest of the Compaign The Landgrave of Hesse was at that time taken up with the Siege of Eberenburgh a small Place fortified by the French for the conveniency of their Magazines but as soon as he received the News of this Defeat and the approach of the Marshal de Lorge in order to relieve the place he raised the Siege with so much precipitation that they left behind them some of the Cannon with all their Ammunition and all other Necessaries belonging to a Siege Most people were of Opinion that these frequent Distasters would have both exhausted the Strength and Hatred of the Confederates but flattering themselves with these vain hopes Campaign of 1692. that these Conquests would at last turn to the destruction of France they resolved to abate nothing of their Resolution in vigourously prosecuting the War and remaining steadfast in the Confederacy especially since the Prince of Orange K. William III. did not cease to insinuate to them by his Ministers that this was the only way left for their mutual Preservation since if they were not able when joyn'd together to ballance the Power and Success of our King's Arms it would be no difficult Task for him to vanquish them singly whenever he should take a Resolution to dispossess them of their Estates after the breaking of the League Both sides therefore made all imaginable Preparations to prosecute the War with more vigour than ever The Confederates to defend themselves against the Power of France our King to attack them afresh in the next Campaign This Campaign was opened in Flanders in the Month of January Furnes taken by the taking of Furnes its Garrison consisted of four thousand English and the Elector of Bavaria made all the necessary Preparations to Relieve it but it was surrendred in fifteen Hours being a Place of great Consequence to us to cover our Frontiers and to disappoint the Confederates in their Design of Besieging Dunkirk The Prince of Orange K. William III. had at several times promised the Allies to make a Descent in France which he now being resolved to put in Execution ordered a Fleet to be Equipp'd for that purpose provided with a good number of Flat-bottom'd Vessels for the Conveniency of Landing his Forces which were drawn together near the Sea-side opposite to
the French shoar The King being not ignorant of this Design to encourage his Subjects and take all necessary Precautions the King ordered a good Army to serve as a Guard of his Sea-Costs under the Command of his only Brother the Duke of Orleance The precaution as it was founded upon a sure Maxim of Prudence so it prov'd useless in its Consequence For all these vast Preparations and Threats vanished into Smoak the Troops design'd for this pretended Expedition being sent into Flanders which was only made use of to oblige our King to remove part of his Forces from the Frontiers to defend his own Coasts But this Amusement which was not carried on without vast Expences turn'd but to a very slender Account on the Enemies side without reaping any other Advantage by it than to Alarm our Sea-Coasts with the danger of an Invasion which being soon vanished the People took fresh Courage and were prepared to encounter it with less Surprize for the future For the King was so far from shewing the least Fear upon this Occasion that he attack'd the Enemies with new Vigour on all sides The Marshal de Noailles besieged Roses in Catalonia which place Roses taken tho' considerable for its Strength he took in eight days after opening of the Trenches to wit on the 29th of July Smyrna Fleet intercepted by Tourville The Marshal de Tourville was ordered towards the Streights to intercept the Smyrna Fleet of the English and Dutch of which he on the 29th of June betwixt Cadiz and the Bay of Lagos took burnt and sunk above fourscore Merchant men The rest were dispersed and the Squadron of Men of War which serv'd for a Convoy made the best of their Way towards the English Coast For many Years before neither of these two Nations had received such a Check in their Trade their Loss being esteem'd at thirty Millions of Livres In the beginning of this Spring our King appearing in Person in Flanders it was the general Rumour that he aim'd at Liege but after having given his final Orders concerning the Operation of the Campaign and detach'd near thirty thousand Men under the Command of the Dauphin to reinforce his Army near the Rhine he return'd into France The Mashal de Lorge had in the Month of May Heidelbergh taken and rased by the French made himself Master of Heidelbergh the Capital City of the whole Palatinate before the Enemy could march to its Relief and after having rased the Fortifications both of the City and Castle was marched directly against the Prince of Baden who Commanded the Confederate Army on that side and at the approach of the Marshal retreated before him but after the arrival of the Dauphin with the beforementioned Detachment he entrenched himself strongly at a Pass which he knew impossible to be forced chusing rather to undergo the Inconveniencies of Famine and many Distempers which afflicted his Troops in these inaccessible Places than to hazard a Battle or to decamp before the Dauphin for fear he should force him to come to an Engagement The Prince of Orange K. William III. did not entrench himself but kept the open Field in Flanders yet so as to avoid all Occasions of Fighting The Duke of Luxenburgh who had positive Orders from the King to engage him fained to march towards Liege to attack the Lines and Redoubts which surround that great City This succeeded according to expectation for the Confederate Army advancing near to the Duke to be ready to succour the City the Duke marched directly towards them and arrived in sight of their Camp about six or seven a Clock at Night The Prince of Orange K. William III. was not a little surprised at the suddenness of his March but finding himself under a Necessity to stand an Engagement the next Day he improv'd those few Hours he had to his best Advantage in putting his Troops in Order of Battle raising Batteries in convenient Places in fixing Pallisadoes at the Avenues leading to his Camp he caused two Villages which covered his Right and Left to be Fortified and lin'd the Houses and circumjacent Hedges with his best Infantry and strengthned his Front which reached to and took up all the Ground betwixt these two Villages He employed a great number of Pioneers all the Night long in making a Ditch six Foot broad and three quarters of a League long strengthned without with good Pallisadoes and defended within by a good Line and Redoubts upon which were mounted near a hundred pieces of Cannon The main Body stood behind this Entrenchment sustained by the Cavalry which was posted behind them in two Lines They were the finest Troops that could be seen On the other hand is it possible to imagine that our Soldiers could be so courageous or rather Fool-hardy enough to attempt the attacking of sixty thousand brave Men guarded by such strong Entrenchments The great Artillery began to play at break of Day Battle of Neerwinden 29. July on both sides without intermission till four a Clock in the Afternoon That of the Enemies did great Execution among us being placed upon an Eminency which commanded the Plain The oldest Officers did acknowledge never to have seen Cannon to play with so much Fury and at so little a distance for so long a time together which at a distance resembled more a Sea-Engagement than a Field-Battle The Enemies fired more frequently than we and their Artillery did much more Execution so that this Victory must be meerly ascribed to the invincible Courage of our Soldiery and it must be acknowledged that Philip Duke de Chartres the Duke of Bourbon and de Maine the Prince of Conty and the Count de Thoulouse had a great share in the Success of this Day There was not a Battallion in both the Army 's but what was Engaged in the Battle but the chief Attack was at a Village call'd Neerwinden which covered the Right Wing This Village was taken and retaken twice with great Slaughter till at last our Troops having maintained and strengthned themselves in this Post they entred the Plain and attacked the Enemy both in Front and Flank who received us very Courageously especially the English in the main Body who Charged six times with incredible Bravery but their Cavalry being brought into Confusion and drove into a River the whole Army begun to disperse and to quit the Field by whole Troops and Companies leaving the Victorious Enemy Master of the Field with threescore and sixteen pieces of Cannon eight Mortars nine Patteroons twelve pair of Kettle-Drums abundance of Arms threescore Standards two and twenty Colours and above two thousand Prisoners among whom were two hundred Officers The French lost above three thousand Men killed and four thousand wounded The Loss of the Enemy amounted to near twenty thousand Men both in the Engagement and Flight there being a great number drown'd in endeavouring to Ford the River which for a considerable time after was rendred
the loss of only two or three hundred Men on our side The Enemies had betwixt four or five thousand kill'd and wounded and we took above three thousand Prisoners all their Baggage Provision Ammunition and sixteen Colours Immediately after the gaining of the Battle Siege of Palamos the Marshal de Noailles besieged Palamos a small Maritime Town but well fortified There was a Garrison of three thousand Men in the place which did defend themselves only five days after the Place began to be Batter'd by our Cannon both by Sea and Land For whilst the Marshal attack'd it by Land a French Squadron of Men of War batter'd it by Sea After we had made our selves Masters of the Counterscarp there were two Breaches in the Wall but so narrow that not above one Man could mount it at a time in Front Some Soldiers having taken notice of it shew'd it to their Officers who approving of their Design they mounted the Breach entred the City and taking advantage of the general Consternation this unexpected Sight of the Enemy upon the Ramparts had put them into they soon made themselves Masters of the City on the 7th of June The Fort or Castle being forced to Surrender at Discretion within three days after the Marshal without loosing time sat down before Gironne This Place was so considerable for its Strength that in the Year 1684 Gironne taken it obliged the French Army to raise the Siege But our late Victory near the River Ter the taking of Palamos the furious discharges of our Batteries and the vast number of our Bombs which did great Execution and set the Town on fire besides the little hopes there was of being relieved obliged the Inhabitants and Garrison to Capitulate in five days We made our selves Masters of several other places betwixt Gironne and Barcelona and all the Country round was seised with such a Consternation that their Capital City it self would scarce have been able to hold out a Week against our victorious Arms if the Heats had not been so excessive as to prevent us from undertaking the Siege and the Confederate Fleet was so seasonably to their Assistance and had supply'd them both with Ammunition and Men. This was the only Fruit they reap'd from the Equipment of so numerous a Fleet it being fear'd otherwise that the Spaniards might have concluded a separate Peace with us if they had not come to their Relief It was also supposed that at the Sollicitations of the Duke of Savoy this Fleet was to endeavour the regaining of Villa Franca It was composed of one hundred and thirty Sail among which were threescore and fifteen for the Line of Battle It was given out that they were to Retake Nice to Bombard Thoulon and to lay Marseilles in Ashes There were also some who pretended that they were to chastise Genove for refusing to join with the Confederacy But all these Projects vanished into Smoak they being disenabled for want of Provisions and by the many Distempers that reigned among the Seamen to undertake any thing of moment they kept the Sea for some time after till the approaching Winter Season forced them to seek for a safe Retreat in the Spanish Ports Their Fleet in the Ocean made more Noise but did not much more Damage Descent in Camaret Bay They made an attempe upon Camaret-Bay at the neck of a Land which juts into the Sea near Forest Of eight or nine hundred Men who Landed by the help of their Chaloops betwixt three and four hundred were killed the rest made Prisoners The rest of their Forces that were to second the Attack being deterr'd by the ill Success of their Comrades and the continual Fire from our Entrenchments upon the Sea-shoar did not judge it advisable to attempt any further Descent but under the Protection of some of their Frigats return'd to their Ships On the 22th day of July Diepe Bombarded they Bombarded Diepe which was laid in Ashes most of the Houses of this City being of Wood and closely built the Inhabitants fled from their Habitations with their best Moveables the Fire consumed the whole City there being no body to stop its Fury But the Enemies were great Gainers by this Bargain it having been computed that this Expedition cost them more than the re-building of the whole City could amount to On the 20th of July they appear'd before Havre de Grace which they likewise Bombarded for some time as well as Calais but without doing any considerable Damage the Fire having been soon extinguished by the Care of the Inhabitants This done they made an attempt upon the Forts which guard the Entrance of the Port of Dunkirk two Engines not unlike to that they had made use of at St. Malo's advanced towards the said Forts with an Intention to blow them up but by the help of the Cannon mounted upon several Batteries along the Sea-shoar these two Vessels were blown up into the Air at about a thousand yards distance from the Mole The little Success of this Campaign on the Confederates side Campaign 1695. did in some measure abate the Heat of the English and Dutch who for these seven years last past had bore the greatest Share in the vast Expences of the War In Holland the common People cry'd out aloud for Peace in London tho' they did not do it so publickly yet they were very desirous of it The Parliament took an Account of the Supplies granted for the use of the War and what Share each of the Allies ought to have in the Expences pursuant to the Treaty's concluded for that purpose They excluded the Speaker of the House of Commons from their House and imprison'd several of their Members They also Summon'd the Earl of Danby Duke of Leeds President of the Privy Council but these Proceedings ceased with the Session of Parliament There were some who look'd upon this Affront put upon one of the Prince of Orange's Favourites K. William III. as a Spark of Fire which being couch'd for some time under the Ashes might in time break out into a Flame And their Conjectures seem'd not ill grounded considering that since the Death of the Princess of Orange Queen Mary eldest Daughter to the King of England who died on the 18th of December in the Year 1694. Queen of Englands Death King James's Party began to appear more formidable than before and that the Differences betwixt the Court and the Princess of Denmark only Sister of the deceased Princess Q. Mary might furnish them with an opportunity to Foment the intestine Divisions in that Kingdom or that perhaps some of the Confederates discouraged by the change of Affairs in England might not prosecute the War with the same Vigour as before But it was not long before these Hopes were frustrated in the end For the Prince K. William III. either by his good Fortune or Conduct prevented all these Dangers there being not the least appearance of any Commotion On the
Dauphin who with so much Application did shew them the way to true Vertue that following both the Footsteps and Instructions of such Guides there never appear'd in any Princes in the World more noble Sentiments and generous Inclinations than in these three the Eldest having given already to the French Nation by his happy disposition to Vertuous Actions all the imaginable hopes of becoming one day a great Prince If the vertuous Inclinations of Princes are like Springs which derive their noble Effects and Communicate them to their Subjects nothing is so great but what may be expected from the happy Marriage of so accomplish'd a Prince with a Princess whose Merits equalize if not surpass her high Extraction and that most eminent Station she is placed by Providence in the World The Peace of Italy proved the happy forerunner of a general Peace It was two years since several Proposals had been made upon that Account which were often changed according to the several change of Affairs in Christendom matters being at that time not brought to a perfect Maturity But towards the latter end of this Campaign there appear'd more disposition in the Confederates for a Peace than before and the People both in England and Holland shew'd much eagerness for it the Allies were for the most part discouraged by the many Disappointments they had met with and most of them having no particular Interest in the War began to hearken to these Proposals which were made on our King's behalf to give Satisfaction to some of the Confederate Princes thus every thing seem'd to tend towards the Conclusion of a general Peace if an un-foreseen Obstacle had not overturn'd all these fair hopes Charles II. Charles II. K. of spain the present King of Spain happen'd to fall ill in the beginning of October so as to have three several Relapses in less than six Weeks time This Prince having no Issue and all Europe taking Interest in the Quarrel which was like to arise after his Death about the Succession the Confederates shew'd not much forwardness to bring it to a Conclusion till after the recovery of this Monarch It was perhaps upon this score that the Ministers of the Emperor and of some of the rest of the Confederate Princes found means to raise many difficulties concerning the Passes and the place where the Ambassadours were to meet to carry on the Negotiation of Peace The Conferences were already begun at the Hague as being the Center where the Ministers of the Consederacy used to meet besides that the Dutch shewed more Inclination for the Peace than the rest and made use of all their Endeavours to promote so great a Work Money began to be so scarce among them that they were hardly put to it to find means for the raising of new Troops to furnish their Quota of Men and Money which made up the largest share of the whole Confederacy They were also under some apprehensions that the Catholick Princes might be prevail'd upon either by the Mediation of the Pope or of the Duke of Savoy to conclude a separate Peace For since the Conclusion of the Peace in Italy the Emperor's Minister remain'd still at Turin The Governour of Milan had also taken several Journeys thither the Count de Tesse resided there in our King's behalf and the Marshal de Catinat had stayed there for some time before he repassed the Alpes The long stay of these Ministers in a Court which so lately had changed its Interest their frequent Conferences the many Messengers that were continually sent forwards and backwards betwixt Paris Vienna and Madrid raised no small jealousie in the Dutch and made them fear lest if the Emperour the King of Spain the Elector of Bavaria and the other Catholick Princes should make a separate Peace they would be left a Sacrifice to France But whilst these debates lasted both Parties began to make greater Preparations than ever for the Prosecution of the War Campaign of 1697. The King's Power appear'd more formidable than it did nine Years ago for he had more Money more Troops and better Officers than at the beginning of the War His Forces both in Garrisons and in the Field were counted to consist of four hundred and twenty thousand Men to wit three hundred and fifty Thousand Foot and threescore and ten Thousand Horse without reckoning those Employed in the Sea-Service who were no less considerable this Year than at any time before the King having applied all his Care to Arm in all his Ports and Equip all the biggest and best of his Ships The Confederates on the other side having taken a resolution to make their last Efforts this Campaign the Prince of Orange King William III. and the Dutch made a defensive League with the King of Denmark by Vertue of which he was obliged to furnish them with a certain number of Troops and a Squadron of Men of War But in the midst of all these vast Preparations the Plenipotentiaries of all the Princes that were engag'd in this Bloody War began to open the Conferences for the Conclusion of the Peace Delft and the Hague were pitch'd upon for the Places of Residence of these Ministers and the Castle of Riswick which lies betwixt these two Places to hold their Conferdnces in A considerable time before the opening of these Conferences Neutrallty proposed for Catalonia a Negotiation had been set on Foot at Turin to conclude a Neutrality for Catalonia The Spaniards cannot be more sensibly touch'd in any part of their Dominions than in Catalonia which lying so near to the Center of the Kingdom and Danger threatning from that side puts the People of Spain into a Ferment which is more dreadful among the Spaniards than other Nations The King of Spain wanted the necessary Funds for the carrying on of the War the Duke of Savoy having not disbanded any of his Troops either because matters were thus concerted betwixt our Court and him or because he intended to improve the present Conjuncture to his Advantage the Spaniards could draw but few of their Troops out of the Milaneze The Confederates had no Fleet in the Mediterranean and were consequently not in a Condition to succour them with any of their Troops in Catalonia besides that these Foreign Auxiliaries prov'd more troublesome to the Inhabitants than the Enemy considering all these disadvantages the Council of Spain were inclin'd to accept of this Neutrality if it had not been represented to them by the Emperor's Ministers that if our King should be freed at once from the War both near the Alpes and the Pyrenean Mountains it would be so great an Addition to his Strength that the Confederacy would be reduc'd to a necessity of preventing their Ruin by the Conclusion of a disadvantageous Peace These Considerations were so prevailing with the Spaniards that they neglected their own Interest for that of the Confederacy and refused to accept of the Neutrality with Catalonia The glorious success of