Lavinians against the Romans but they put off their resolution so long that when they were going forth of Town to give Summons to them News came that the Latines were defeated whereupon Milonius the Pretor said We shall pay deerly to the Romans for this little way we are gone For if they had resolved not to have given Aid they had not given offence to the Romans by helping of them and had their Aid come in time with the addition of their own Forces they might have gained the Victory But by delays loss and misfortunes came every way And whether this may not be the Case of England I submit it to your great judgment This is not such a War as was between the Etolians and Archadians for a wild Boar nor for a Cart-load of Sheep-skins as was between Charles Duke of Burgondy and the Switzers nor like that between the Scoâ—s and picts for a few Dogs but it 's pro aris focis We fight to preserve our own Interest and to avoid Beggery and Slavery which will unavoidably fall upon us if the Ambition of that aspiring Prince be not stinted When England shall vigorously appear against them the French King will be necessitated to desire Peace and to do Justice The apprehension of your Forces will be a terrour unto him our Allies will be greatly encouraged and they with united Forces will act more powerfully Our Fleets will give them such just fears that they will be obliged to employ some great part of their Troops to defend their own Coasts and will be necessitated to quit some of their new Conquests as they have done Messina to secure their own Dominions The conquering of Villages and Towns are like Bonfires of Straw but if they meet with a stout opposition they are mortal as other men and one good blow will cause a reverter of all their new Acquests It 's storied that Charles the fifth after he had clasped Germany almost in his fist he was forced in the end to go from Jusprug as if it had been in a Masque by Torch-light and to give up every foot in Germany that he had gotten Which I doubt not will be the Hereditary fate of the late Purchases and Conquests of France I know the Most Christian King hath as many experienced Captains and disciplined Souldiers as any Prince in Europe but that sorts to the honour of the English seeing they ever have had the better of it in all Rencounters and never left the Field but with Glory The French Valour lieth to the eye of the lookers on but the English Courage lieth about the Souldiers heart and the Fury of the French the first blast being over turns to Fear No King or Prince hath such a spring and seminary of brave Military people as be in England Scotland and Ireland and who will be ready to sacrifice their Lives for their King and Country Where was Caesar in greater danger than in England Where was there a Prince that durst challenge him to a single Combat but in England The Romans conquered Gallia in ten years whereas they did not subdue England in 200 years and not then till they had conquered all the rest of the World Because they reserved the Conquest of England as Conquerors use to do most commonly in great Enterprizes for the last and greatest Conquest that they had to do If you will consult the Register of times you will observe England never had any Encounter with France but it came off with Honour I shall give you a particular List of some of them in an Historical truth no ways strouted nor made greater by Language that 's becoming a General at the head of an Army when they are going to Battle but not with me And I shall begin with that at Cressey the first great Battel That Heroick King Edward the third having been provoked by divers Affronts that Philip of Valois the French King had offered him goes over in person into France with an Army of 8000 men at Arms and 10000 Archers he takes with him his Son the Prince of Wales and Duke of Guyenne being but fifteen years of age called afterwards the black Prince to train him up in feats of Arms. Landing in Normandy he marches within ten miles of Paris and after divers Skirmages a Battel was appointed King Edward incamped near a Village called Cressey the French Kings Army was above twice the number consisting of above 60000 with all the Flower of the French Nobility The Battle began the Fight grew hot and doubtful insomuch that the Commanders sent to King Edward who was gotten into a Wind-mill where as from a Centinel he might behold the face of the Enemy to come up with more power the King asked the Messenger whether his Son was hurt or slain and being answered no he replies Then tell them who sent you that so long as my Son is alive they send no more to me for my will is that he have the honour of the day The Fight on both sides was very furious the French King having his horse killed under him withdrew which being known to the English it added so to their Courage that they soon after won the Field This Battle was so bloudy that there were none made Prisoners but all put to the Sword The number of the slain French surmounted the whole Army of the English for the number of the slain were about thirty thousand The next great Victory in France was the Battle of Poitiers The black Prince being tapred up now to a good growth was sent by advice of Parliament to Gascony the Truce being expired He ravaged the Country as far as Tourane John the French King raiseth a potent Army more numerous than that at Cressey and going to finde out the Prince of Wales found him about Poitiers not much above 10000 men effective in his Army The Prince finding the main strength of the French Army consisted in Horse he intrenched amongst the Vineyards where when the French Cavalry entred being wrapt and intangled amongst the Vines the English Archers did so ply and gall them that thereby being defeated and put to rout the whole Army was soon defected In this Battel King John himself was taken prisoner whom the Prince brought into England where he continued four years And as the French Historians themselves confess he was so nobly received that he knew not whether he was a free King or a Captive Besides Lords and Nobles that were slain in this Battle there were upon the whole more French slain than the whole English Army was in number We will now to Agencourt Henry the fifth that Mirror of Princes being come to the Crown he cast his eyes towards France and for claiming of his Title he sent the Duke of Exeter in a magnisicent Embassie to demand the Crown but receiving no satisfactory Answer but rather a kind of Jeer the Dauphin sending him a Sack full of Racket-balls to pass away his time he
THE French Intrigues DISCOVERED With the Methods and Arts TO Retrench the Potency OF FRANCE BY LAND and SEA And to Confine that MONARCH Within his Antient DOMINIONS and TERRITORIES Humbly submitted to the Consideration of the PRINCES and STATES of EUROPE especially of ENGLAND Written in a LETTER From a Person of Quality abroad to his Correspondent here Nulla potentia scelere quaesita est diuturna LONDON Printed for R. Baldwin 1681. THE French Intrigues DISCOVERED c. SIR IN obedience to your Commands I have soberly considered your learned Discourse wherein are such excellent Prudentials of Government such grave Aphorisms of State and the whole composed with so great judgment that it makes me think the Opinion of the equality of Souls to be a Paradox Yet I must beg your pardon if I cannot obtain so much favour of my Reason as to agree with you that in this Juncture of Affairs in Europe it 's England's Interest to stand Neutral When Neighbour Princes are at difference and their Forces not greatly unequal and no fear of any Parties aggrandizing it self it may be prudence But when Kingdoms are tottering Nation reeling against Nation and France endeavouring to set up an Empire over the Emperour himself and by the power of Arms reducing Princes and States under an Vniversal Dominion as it 's evident to be the French Designe then I take it for England to be an idle Spectator and to sit still is the greatest Soloecism in point of State For that Prince which stands Neutral and suffers his weaker Neighbours to be subdued except his strength doth over-ballance the Victors doth but expose himself to danger and his own Dominions to the mercie of the Conqueror Theramenes thought it a great instance of prudence during the Peloponnesian War and the troubles of the Athenians to keep himself quiet without taking part with the one or with the other but in the end was deserted by all his Dominions made a Prey and his Life a Sacrifice to the prevailing Powers Certainly Sir nothing can be more becoming the wisdom of the greatest Prince than to be watchful that the States about him should not in-greaten themselves by access of Dominions by ruining of Confederates blocking up of Trade or by the like means Hence it was that Sextus Quintus being jealous of the Spanish Greatness and that his designe was of aggrandizing himself with great efficacy stirred up the Crown of France to assist and defend the States of Holland And for this reason of State Pope Julius the second Maximilian the Emperour Lewis the twelfth of France Ferdinand of Aragon and other Princes and States An. Dom. 1508. at Cambray entred into a League against the Venetians yet so as the Confederates had a perpetual Eye one upon the other that none of them should over top And the best Guard which the Italian Princes have is the reciprocal fear which the one of them hath of the other The wisest Princes have ever been in this point very jealous and the more jealous the less they have been deceived for then are Kingdoms and States most safe when their Neighbouring Forces are not greatly superiour to their own Strength And it 's prudence in a Prince as well to contain his best Friends within a moderate Greatness as to weaken and depress his most potent Enemies The safety of Princes consists in the equal counterpoise of Power for Power is never safe when it groweth bold and doth exceed And therefore it was great weakness and oversight in the Neighbouring Princes and States to the Commonwealth of Rome to suffer it to grow to that magnitude of Reputation and Power that when forty Princes and States being jealous of its Power with united Forces did endeavour to reduce it they were all subdued and their Conspiracies did much contribute to the enlarging ber Dominions for by seeking to suppress Rome they made them not onely provide for their own defence but also gave them the means how they might with more Force better advice and greater Power offend them It hath been looked upon as a great imprudence in Lewis the twelfth of France after he had gotten Millain to give Aid to Pope Alexander to seize upon Romagnia who thereby became so powerful that he would have made himself Lord of Tuscany if Lewis had not with his Army made a descent into Italy The Neighbouring Princes to the Signiory of Geneva would not suffer it though but a palm of ground to fall into the hands of the Duke of Savoy or of any other Potentate of more strength than himself insomuch that when he besieged it An. 1589. England the State of Venice and Florence aided them And at another time when the Pope the French King the Spaniard and Savoy had designes upon it the Emperour offered them assistance both of men and money and sometimes the Duke of Savoy hath assisted them against the others So watchful were Princes and States in those times that none of them could enlarge their Dominions thereby to become troublesom or formidable to their Neighbours France and Spain were the Scales of the great Ballance of Europe and England was then the Beam of that Ballance which kept it in an even Counterpoise And let me tell you Sir England by observing this fundamental Maxime of their State and by contributing Aid to one Party hath ever risen in Honour and Reputation and most commonly hath kept both Parties at their Devotion and in Dependancy the one in hopes of Succors from them the other for fear of their giving Assistance against them And in case England should not take any Party yet in prudence a Fleet must be equipped Souldiers raised an Army maintained and all this Expence and Charge without any Fruit or Glory otherwise the Scene of the War may be turned upon you and the Ambition of the Victor may erect his Trophies and extend his Triumphs into England Whereas by giving Aid unto one Party you will maintain a Spring and Seminary of brave men at the expence of others which will make you considerable to your Neighbours And in case of an Accommodation or Peace you shall be sure therein to be comprized which will be your Safety Otherwise you will remain friendless exposed to the charity of the Conqueror and to the scorn and contempt of the Conquered who upon all occasions will meditate revenge against you for not giving them your Aid and it may be that both Parties with united Forces may attempt against you However that Prince or State which will stand for a Cypher when in prudence he is obliged to arm shall with Servilius in Rome please neither side of whom the Historian observeth that P. Servilius medium se gerendo nec Plebis vitavit odium nec apud Patres gratiam inivit Henry the Eighth amongst several other Princes understood this Maxime of England so well that he assumed unto himself this Motto Cui adhaereo praeest Sometimes he would make Charles the Fisth weigh
the News of it came to Madrid did in verbo Sacerdotis and upon all that is most sacred protest and vow to the Queen That his Master intended nothing less than what was reported of him and would not break with the King of Spain or invade his Dominions as long as he was under age These Circumstances are more surprizing than the Breach it self But the March of the French Army and the Hostility they committed agreeing so little with their Vows and Promises and the same being complained of they answered It was no Breach and that they onely came fairly and in a friendly manner to take possession of what belonged to them This War or as the French term it a Friendly possessing of their own ended by a Treaty at Aix after which contrary to the faith of that Treaty they first dismantled the strong places and holds of the County of Burgundy carried away all Munition out of the Country and notwithstanding the same Treaty at Aix they exacted great Contributions from the Dutchies of Limburg and Luxemburg and laid a new Claim to some Towns as important as any of those granted to them by the Peace and confiscated the Estates of the Subjects of the King of Spain that would not forswear their Allegiance If these Infractions and many more are not sufficient to awaken England and all Europe I know not what will Since the Treaty at Nimmeguen such have been the actings of the French Ministers such Contraventions thereof such horrid Injustice hath been committed and executed upon the Subjects of his Catholick Majesty in the Spanish Netherlands and else where notwithstanding the great Territories granted to the Most Christian King by that fatal and destructive Peace which all Europe may have time enough to repent and lament that no King in the world can in justice own or give any countenance thereunto Certainly there men act as if great sins would merit Heaven by an Antiperistasis Thus they have dealt with Spain Let us see how other Princes have fared with them We 'll begin with the Duke of Lorrain who by the Pyrenean Treaty was to be restored to his Dutchie of Lorrain with all the places and Towns which he had possessed in the Bishopricks of Metz Toul and Verdun but contrary to the Treaty the French King refused to restore it and to this day doth detain it and ordered one of his Generals to seize his person and to bring him either dead or alive as it 's the usual practice of all Usurpers to destroy those they have dispossessed and injured and it was very near being effected A new way of dealing with a Soveraign Prince not yet known in these parts of the world and which gives some hopes to Europe of seeing ere long the West governed by Bashaws as well as the East None but an Universal Monarch can pretend to a Right of displacing Princes and disposing both of their Lives and Territories And therefore nothing could deserve a higher Resentment nor a more vigorous Opposition from all the Kings and Princes of Europe The Kingdom of Poland comes next which hath lain a bleeding ever since they had a French Queen and which is at this instant in imminent danger of being conquered by the Turks through the means of the French Cabal who have called into the Kingdom the Enemy of the Christian name meerly because they could not have a King either of French Bloud or of French Interest The Duke of Newburg was not better used whom they caused to engage the greatest part of his Estate almost beyond redemption in hopes of the Polish Crown which they had promised to raise him to by the help of a strong Party they had made in that Kingdom Yet underhand contrary both to their Treaties as well with the Elector of Brandenburg as with himself and to their reiterated Promises and Vows both by word of mouth and in writing they did by their Creatures and Agents oppose the said Duke's pretension and endeavoured with all industry to have the Prince of Conde preferred before all other Competitors Nothing certainly can be a greater instance of the perfidiousness and treachery of the French Ministers and how little faith or credit is to be given to any of their Promises or Vows If there were no other instance thereof this alone were sufficient to alarm the World to be careful and advised how they put any trust in them The Emperour hath as little reason to thank them for at the very time when the Most Christian King sent his Forces to joyn with his Army against the Turks they began to settle a Correspondence with the Counts Serini Franchipani Nadasty and Toffenback from whence that so-well-known Conspiracy hath since broken out as it hath been made apparent by the Depositions and Confessions of some of the Accomplices who had been instrumental in carrying both Money and Letters from the French Ministers at Vienna All the Confusions Distempers and Wars in Hungary have been raised and continued by the Practices and Intrigues of France And they have given disturbance to all Germany by their private Treaties and Correspondencies with several Princes contrary to the Treaty at Munster To which may be added That one of the greatest Motives of bringing the Turks into Poland was the Marriage of the Empress's Sister with their King Yet it must be owned that the French seem to have repented their pernicious Intrigues and caballing in that Kingdom For when they saw the Emperour preparing in earnest to assist the Dutch in the late Wars they made against them to work him from that designe and to engage him if it had been possible not to concern himself or take part in the Quarrel they very fairly offered him to put into his hands and deliver him all the original Letters they had from their Creatures and Friends in Poland to the end both his Imperial Majesty and the King of Poland his Brother might take what course they thought fit with those Rebels A fair warning to all those that prefer French Money before their Loyalty and the true Interest of their Country Nay I doubt the Swedes their good friends have not always been pleased with them and they cannot to this day forget that about eighteen years since having made a Treaty with the French whereby they were to receive by way of gratuity or pension sixteen hundred thousand Crowns the French upon second thoughts finding their Treaty with Sweden of little use to them refused to ratifie it and sent their Monsieur de Trelon who without more words told them in short That the King his Master declared it to be void A sine Court-stile for one Prince to use to another I and a short Majestick way of rescinding all Treaties These are stupendious passages and will be no more credited by Posterity than we do what is said of King Arthur's round Table It 's needless to tell you how they have observed their Treaties with Holland for all Europe
The former may be allowed Golden while the latter are to be manacled with Iron Chains And be assured he that makes War for his Glory hath more ambition to put his Chains on Princes and States than on their People His thoughts are as large as any of the Roman Emperours and they esteemed it a greater glory to lead one King in Triumph than a thousand Subjects of several Kingdoms He doth purpose to make all Princes and States of Europe Vassals and Tributaries to his Universal Empire and rather than fail he hath designed to bring in the Turks with whom they will tell you they have contracted an entire Friendship in whose Court he hath found help to make his Coin currant Nor is that infallible man at Rome to escape at least to the Temporal part of his power which he hath not as he ought employed for the French Interest but will abrogate that great Authority in which his Predecessors Pipin and Charlemain's Charity have vested him and without doubt will pull down his Spiritual Grandeur by fixing it in a Gallican Patriarch and so his Holiness instead of being Christs Vicar will be made a French Curate And some of the Princes of Germany and Italy which now seem unconcerned will when it 's too late repent the oversight Sir it 's storied when Beasts had Kings the Lions had the Soveraignty every one of them within his peculiar Forest Whiles their strengths were equal they lived neighbourly none insulted over the other At last time produced a Lion stronger than the rest who disdaining to be kept within the Precincts left by his Progenitors preyed upon the Forest adjoyning The other Lions fearing their particular Estates or Walks consulted for remedy the way resolved upon was to pare his Nails Your Prudence Sir will easily make the Moral Certainly it 's the true Interest of Europe for all Kings Princes and States to unite for their common safety and to act in concert and not onely to chase that ambitious and aspiring Prince out of his new Conquests but to confine him to his ancient Empire and his own Dominions A devouring Lion which is never satiated with Prey must be chained up The Conquest of Naples by Charles the Eighth occasioned a Consederacy of all the Neighbouring Princes against him whereby he soon lost that he had gotten Look into Asia did not the Grand Seignior pick up one Common-wealth after another the one giving no Aid or Assistance to the other but looking on with their hands in their pockets till at last he reduced them all under his Empire and what was the fatal consequence thereof is well known How much more then are the Arms of France to be dreaded whose power is mightier than that was of the Turks And every new acquest and accession of Territories enlarges his desires and makes that Prince think that which before seemed not onely difficult but impossible to be easie and feasable Ambition is never so high but it still thinks to mount and that Station which lately seemed the top is but a step to her now and what before was great in desiring seems little being once in power The Successes of the French have already made them think no Enterprize too hard and still prompts them to push on their good fortune which nothing can withstand but a general opposition of all the Princes and States of Europe Dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur Sir I must confess you are obliged in all duty to acknowledge his Majesty of Great Britain's incomparable Wisdom great Vigilancy and dextrous Conduct of Affairs that you have been hitherto preserved in Peace and Prosperity when the whole Neighbourhood hath been infested with Fire and Sword and had no other Prospect but Bloud and Confusion But by sad experience you will finde that if you do not vigorously contribute your Assistance to put a stop to the progress of the French Arms that the natural strength and scituation of England can be no sufficient defence against the power of France when to that he hath already is added all the rest of Europe unless you can dream that your Fleets by Sea and Armies at Land are able to contrast and secure you against that power which hath subdued all Europe I have observed that the neglect of beginnings many times makes the Disease mortal and incurable The vivacity and boldness of brisk Resolutions always bring forth fortunate proceedings and glorious conclusions The way down hill is easie and ordinary but to ascend unto the top of Glory requireth Wisdom to frame the steps and Courage to give the attempt As sudden Resolutions are always dangerous so no less peril ensueth of slow and doubtful Delays In times of Danger it 's more safe to be found in Action than Counsel Cunctatio servilis statim exequi regium est I am in my Constellation under Mercury not Mars and desire Peace but I am of that Princes minde not to take up Peace at the interest of Danger to ensue A wise State ought to desire Peace but it 's necessary to be prepared for War In Puglia in Naples if any be bitten by a Tarantula it 's not to be cured but by Musick onely You are bitten in your Trade and wounded in your Traffick there is nothing will cure you but the noise of Cannon and sound of Drum and Trumpet But you are pleased to say that you are in League with France and a Rupture on your part would be unjust it 's not honourable to break Leagues which are the Tye and Cement of Nations The French King will grant us any terms I do not deny but he will grant you any terms but the more advantagious terms you have if you consider the Genius of the French Nation the more ought it to be your fear and jealousie of their breaking of them But when France shall be brought to more Equality better and more advantageous Conditions will be drawn from him and he will be well advised before he break them Sir I must tell you there is no Faith or Trust in France but in its puissance to do hurt France hath ever preferr'd interest of State before the faith of Treaties and Leagues and that made the Duke of Rohan observe that Princes command over the People and Interest commands over Princes Leagues and Alliances as they are made for Interest so Interest will dissolve them and foreign Friendship lasts no longer than it 's advanced with mutual Interest All Leagues and Alliances made with France are but as the Rod of Mercury to charm them asleep with whom they are made It was truely observed by Lysander the Greek that Children are to be deceived with Toys but Princes with Oaths and Leagues And you know it 's a prime Maxime in the Cabal of France That Leagues and Alliances are to be made for Interest and not on designe to keep them For a Prince ought not to be a Slave to his Faith or Word What Leagues Alliances or
But you may observe that neither Honour or Relations can stand in competition with Self-interest Did they not oppose his Majesties restauration to the Emperial Crown of his Royal Ancestors Did they not cabal with his greatest Enemies to keep him out of his Kingdom Of which his now Majesty was so sensible that upon his coming into England he commanded away the French Embassadour Bordeux and would not suffer him to come into his presence In the times of the Usurpation in England they were the mischievous Instruments of the War between you and the States of the Vnited Provinces as they were of the two following in 1665. and 1671. dreading nothing more than a durable and firm Friendship between the two Nations blowing up the Fends on both sides pretending to take part with each that they might with less opposition invade their Neighbours and increase their Naval strength but not really purposing it with either having the same designe of weakening both Parties for your weakness is his strength as the Britans formerly had in throwing the Apple of Contention between the Picts and the Scots that they might in the end be the better able to overcome both When you had Victory in your palms and Triumphs in your prospect it was ravished from you by their means The Bishop of Munster who was his now Majesties Allie and in Arms against the said States was necessitated to withdraw his Forces for the security of his own Territories because they sent their Troops against him France wrought Denmark off from your Party and hindered the Swedes to arm in favour of you and contrived that Affront you suffered to your shame and dishonour at Chatham They have made it their Master-piece to raise Jealousies between you and the Dutch and at last sided with the Dutch in a War against you not with any intention for themselves to fight but to see you destroy each other Did they not most treacherously put to the sword and slavery his Majesties Subjects in St. Christophers plundered them of all which by their industry and providence they had for many years acquired But a Peace at Breda being concluded the French were by the Treaty to return to his Majesty St. Christophers in such sort as therein is expressed But instead of performing it according to the true meaning and the very letter of the Article they upon several unjust and frivolous pretences did not deliver it in four years to the Commissioners which were sent to receive it For it 's against the Candor and Integrity of the French Cabal to part with any thing that may be of conveniency for them to keep But at last they delivered it to Sir Charles Wheeler but before the delivery of it they destroyed all the Plantations plundred and carried away all that was there laid the whole Country waste and left it in a much worse condition that if it had never been planted And as if the detaining of his Majesties Territories had not been sufficient they interrupted the Trade of his Subjects in those parts and assuming to themselves the Soveraignty of those Seas they would not suffer any Ships but their own to sail by or about their Islands and upon no other ground have brought in as Prizes and confiscated many Vessels In 1674 1675. when the Dutch and Neighbour-Nations were in War but England in Peace who thereby expecting a great Trade bought many Dutch-built Vessels the King of England accordingly granted them his License to trade in them by reason of the Act of Navigation But France to hinder the Trade of England issued out an Edict for the seizing of all Ships bought in any Enemies Country And in execution of their Edicts there came out a swarm of French Capers who not onely seized on those Dutch-built Ships though they had his Majesties License but sinding the sweetness of that Trade seized upon your English-built Ships on pretence they carried Enemies goods whilst they themselves would be Judges they did actually seize all English-built Vessels meerly laden on the account of being English Merchants and retook many which had been discharged in France they plundered your Ships and wounded your Sea-men There were about 400 fail of your Merchants Ships seized by them in this manner many of which the French did absolutely condemn and such as were released were kept some three months some six months some twelve months and others longer and then were discharged with great damage by expence and plunder in France besides the first affronts and violences And after all you lost the intended Fruit of your Voyages and what was yet worse they making the most advantages of every thing got many thousands of your Sea-men by extraordinary Pay to engage in his service And that which may super-adde Calamity to your Misery when the French did forbear to take your Ships the Algerines Allies of France and by them set up have continually pickt up your Merchant-men and Vassalized your Sea men ever since And what they take from you they carry into the French Harbours where the French buy the Commodities at their own prices I need not tell you the great discouragements your French Trade hath for many years lain under through their unjust practices and manifold devices Nor shall I speak now how by their Emissaries and Factories of Sedition they have contrived and brooded a most execrable Plot in England and other his Majesties Kingdoms and have sown Divisions Discontents and Jealousies amongst his good Subjects thereby to prevent his Majesties Royal inclinations in giving his assistance to his oppressed Neighbours against that great Prince If these Enormities and Super-injustices of the French Cabal be not sufficient to awaken England considerate men will wonder what Opiate hath cast you asleep and if you be not enchanted by the Magick of French Pistols I pray Sir draw the Curtain open your eyes and see if the Liberty of all Christendom be not now at stake Do you think it will adde any Trophies to your Glory when Posterity shall say It was England which advanced the Most Christian King into the Throne of an Universal Monarchy Is it not your interest to oppose that Power which opposeth all Europe and labours to bury it in the Grave of Infamy and Slavery If you be backward to give your Assistance when you may have so many Allies what will you do when their Forces are broken and you are enforced singly to contrast the Power of France and its new Acquests What you may expect from his Mightiness enquire of the Duke of Lorrain and of the Princes of Germany and they will tell you The Dominion of the British Sea which is your Glory and ought to be your Care is gone He will give Law to your Commerce and Navigation which is now your Honour will be nothing but a Piracy to you and England for want of Trade being an Island will be nothing but a Prison to you You which are the great Merchants and so