Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	ambassador_n	peace_n	treaty_n	1,027	5	9.4431	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51449	The most Christian Turk: or, a view of the life and bloody reign of Lewis XIV. present King of France Containing an account of his monstrous birth, the transactions that happened during his minority under Cardinal Mazarine; afterwards his own unjust enterprizes in war and peace, as breach of leagues, oaths, &c. the blasphemous titles given him, his love-intrigues, his confederacy with the Turk to invade Christendom, the cruel persecution of his Protestant subjects, his conniving with pirates, his unjustly invading the empire, &c. laying all waste before him with fire and sword, his quarrels with the Pope and Genoieze, his treachery against England, Scotland, and Ireland, the engagements of the confederate princes against him; with all the battles, sieges, and sea fights, that have happened of consequence to this time.		1690 (1690)	Wing M2870A; ESTC R216384	73,891	189

French Gold Coin by which we may understand that the Poet such as he was insinuated That he gained more by his Gold than by Valour or Vertue The King was surprized at this and dissembled the Affront seemed to praise the Author and promise if he would discover himself not only to give him a pardon but reward him But it seems he had more wit than to trust himself in the Lyon's Paws upon such slender Security Yet not to give over his Poetical Whimsey there was soon after found in the same Place a Distich in English thus Lewis the thing cannot be known I writ it when I was alone Hitherto we have endeavoured to shew the World the State of Affairs relating to France since the coming of Lewis XIV to the Crown who has in all Parts answered the Prodigie of his Birth living as we may term it in a perpetual Tempest of War to the Scourge of Christendom Few Kingdoms or Estates there are that can boast themselves exempted from the Damage received by the Calamities that have frequently happened on that Occasion Nay where his own Power has not reached so effectually that of others has been imployed not to mention his engaging the Northern Crowns of Denmark and Sweden though Protestant Kingdom in a tedious and expensive War but even soliciting the Pirates of Argier and Tripoly to Invade the Traffick of the Christians by hindring Navigation and taking their Ships offering them his Ports lying advantageous for the purpose and as it were cajolling Nests of Thieves and the Off-scum of Mankind with whom it is not for the Glory of so great a Monarch as Lewis XIV would be thought to be to have any Converse withall But we see Ambition will stoop low when it hopes to soar aloft Lewis XIV when he committed these Outrages and disturbed the Repose of Christendom had little regard to his Oath and the Credit of his Ambassadors who concluded the Peace at Nimeguen nor of the Honour of the King of England Charles II. who was Guarrantee of that Peace nor were the States of the Vnited Provinces less abused who had so great a hand in bringing that memorable Treaty to pass wherein the Ministers of all the Princes of Christendom were concerned and at which place most of them were in Person But to give a farther Light into this Matter take the following Proclamation of Peace published by the States BE it known to all Persons that to the Honour and Praise of God the Lord Almighty to the Welfare and Furtherance of the Common Good of these Vnited Netherlands in General and the good Inhabitants thereof in Particular a good sure faithful and lasting Peace was made at Nimeguen the Tenth Day of August in this present Year 1678. betwen the King of France on the one side and the States General of the Vnited Netherlands on the other and that the Ratification on both sides were exchanged in due Form at Nimeguen aforesaid on the Twentieth of this Instant September And that in pursuance thereof all Acts of Hostility and Enmity as well at Sea and in fresh Water as at Land in all Cities and Places under their Respective Dominions without Exceptions as likewise between their Subjects and Inhabitants of what Condition soever they be must cease and determine after the respective Terms hereafter mentioned to wit after four Weeks to reckon from this Day the publication of the Peace hath been made in the Hague that is after the 26th of October next in the East and North Seas from the Ness in Norway to the Lands End of the Chanel and after Six Weeks that is after the 9th of November next from the said Lands End in the Chanel to the Cape St. Vincent and after Ten Weeks that is after the 7th of December from Cape St. Vincent to the Line and lastly after Eight Months that is after the 28th of May 1679. in all Places of the World Wherefore all and every one as well Subjects and Inhabitants of the several Provinces of the Netherlands as those that are under their High and Mighty Dominion and Obedience are expresly Charged and Commanded inviolably to Maintain the Peace pursuant to the said Treaty and not to Act in the least contrary thereunto on pain of being punished as Disturbers of the Publick Peace without Favour or Connivance Done in the Assembly of the States General in the Hague September 22th 1678. This may sufficiently demonstrate the good and honest Intentions of the States General who could not think but the Word of a King and the Most Christian King as Lewis the Great styles himself would continue Sacred and Inviolable But alass his Ambition and Interest weigh down his Words and Oaths and in Conclusion it appeared that he only did it to bind up their Hands whilst that he might the more securely prey upon the Spanish Netherlands a Country the most pleasant and fruitful in Europe and for which many of his Predecessors have heartily longed but never undertook the Methods he has observed to bring it under his Subjection However this Great Monarch has failed in his Expectation and has frequently been baffled when his numerous Armies have thought themselves most sure Yet by the way we may Mark out a peice of French Treachery though of an Elder date by which we may see it is in a Manner the very Genius of the Nation though more superabundant in Lewis XIV It so happened in the Year of our Lord 1551. that the Protestants in Germany being greatly oppressed by the Emperour Charles I. Henry II. King of France pretending to compassionate them sent Monmorency the Constable with four thousand Horse and Foot as it were to Relieve them who demanded with many Insinuations and Promises of Protection a Passage through the City of Metz a City under Protestant Government The People in hopes to be delivered from the Ravages the Imperial Soldiers committed in their Territories joyfully consented and in Gratitude spread Tables in the Streets ready furnished with Provision for the Soldiers to eat as they Marced through bringing Barrels of Wine and other Liquors to Accommodate them the Magistrates waiting upon the Constable with all Imaginable demonstrations of Kindness and Respect who seeing his time feigned to be troubled with a sudden Fit of the Gout and other Indispositions and thereupon intreated the Magistrates that he might have the opportunity of a Place of Retirement for some time and that he not knowing what might befal him in the Wars or by that Sickness was desirous to make his Will The Good-meaning Magistrates were highly satisfied with the Favour he would doe them and began to contend which of them should have the Honour of entertaining him But their Joy was soon turned into Mourning for when the Magistrates and most of the Gentry were assembled in his Chamber whilst the Scrivener was making his Will to which they were to be Witnesses he gave private Orders for seizing the Gates And as soon as

the Works and Trenches with his Weapon in his Hand and beat out the Defendents gaining the Half-Moon a second time and delivered it Monsieur de la Feuvilade whom then shame more than true Valour compelled to secure it And indeed it is conjectured by many that this strong Place had put a stop to the French Arms had not the English who bore all the brunt of the Siege done things to a wonder so that at last it surrendered upon honourable Conditions on the Thirteenth of June But the French fury like a blazing Comet having by this time spent it self and the Confederate Armies gathering like a black Tempest around them Lewis found that this had been but a kind of a Frolick to make him more known For he was not capable of Garrisoning the Towns he had possessed and keep an Army in the Field which made him spue them up as fast as he had swallowed them withdrawing his Garrisons and Abandoning them to their true Owners which occasioned a Comical Portraicture of Lewis the Great Spewing and Sh ing Towns and Castles However upon leaving those places many of them were dismantled and the Inhabitants obliged to part with almost all they had for their Contribution or Ransom at the discretion of the Soldiers King Charles II. of England by this time grown weary of a War into which he had been unadvisedly drawn and the which without any advantage to England had cost a great deal of Blood and Treasure whilst the French reaped the Profit a Peace was concluded with the States for himself on very honourable Terms So that the English Fleet being laid up the French durst be little at Sea yet at Land the War continued where the French Gold did the greater Service as indeed it has all along had the Luck to do And in this State things continued till the beginning of May 1674. Lewis XIV finding he had ingaged himself too far and that his violent Proceedings had drawn a great many Princes upon him for they found it high time to Confederate against the Disturber of Christendom some Overtures of Peace were made and a Treaty set on Foot in the City of Cologne where divers were assembled in hopes of bringing it to Perfection But upon the Emperor's seizing of the Prince of Furstemburg who worked the French Interest tho' a Subject of the Empire and ought to have done the contrary it greatly disgusted the French King and proved a Remora to this Treaty So that Hostilities continued and the Prince of Conde seized on Navaigne which after a short Siege was delivered up and the King himself laid Siege to Dole which made a stout resistence and killed him a great many Men. But not being timely succoured it at last fell into their Hands These proceedings made the Confederate Armies draw together to oppose them so that on the Fifteenth of June the Duke of Lorrain and the Count of Caprara gave Turin Battel but wanting Foot as having but One Regiment of Foot to Seven thousand Horse and hourly Expecting the Duke of Bournonville who was coming towards them the French on the other hand being Twelve thousand strong notwithstanding a desperate Fight they were forced to retire over the Necker many brave Men being killed and divers taken Prisoners The loss of the slain are held to be equal and had not the Duke wanted Foot the French had been utterly routed For he Charged with such Fury and Resolution at the Head of his Troops as if he had been weary of his Life and expected a Dukedom in another World rather than this Whilst these things passed the Dutch scoured the Seas with their Fleet the French not daring to peep abroad for now they had nothing to fear on the Ocean having made a Peace with the English Whereupon they braved the French in their Harbours and made a Descent on Bell Isle but could make no Advantage on that strong Place But the Dutch Forces at Land took the Grime a very strong Place after a hard Siege And now Lewis XIV betook him to the French Policy of tampering abroad And finding by his Agents that the Inhabitants of Messina in Sicily grew weary of the Spanish Government he encouraged them to Rebel and sent them Succours under the Command of the Duke de Vivone seizing that City and taking an Oath of Fidelity of the Inhabitants But when he had brought them to this Revolt and kept a Garrison there a very considerable Time contrary to the Expection of all Men and out of what Caprice none perhaps but himself knows to this Day he suddenly recalled his Forces leaving so many of the Inhabitants as would not leave all they had to Ship themselves and fly into France where they could rely upon no Succour to the Mercy of the Inraged Spaniards whom they had highly offended by this Revolt Nor had they above four Hours Notice Yet as many as could crowded on Board and afterward lived in Exile not daring to return King Charles II. of England having made a Peace with the States of the Vnited Provinces issued out a Proclamation on the Nineteenth of May 1675. commanding all his Subjects in the French Service as Soldiers since the Treaty of Peace to quit forthwith that Service and return Home and prohibiting any English-men to engage themselves in the like for the future which proved a great Detriment to the Progress of the French Arms as soon after appeared For the Army as not only overthrown but Turin the most Experienced General of France was slain But because this Action was very Memorable we shall not think it amiss to give a brief Account of it On the Eighteenth of July 1675 the Mareschal de Turin commanded out the Regiments of Horse of Campaigne and Orleance with Nine Squadron of Horse under the Command of the Marquess de Rone Mareschal to pass the River Renchau by the Means of Two Bridges he had laid over And being informed That the Imperialists had laid an Ambuscade on the other side he went in person to see if he could discover it from a certain Height near the Bridge When the Imperialists having planted Two small Pieces in a Wood hard by fired one of them without any considerable Execution but the secoud being Charged with Iron or Cartridge-shot put a period to Turin's Life killing likewise the Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance and divers others of Quality about him though some Accounts say he was killed with a Cannon Shot However thus ended that great General who had been brought up in War as we may properly term it from his Infancy and seen many Rivers of Blood whose Death gave a great check to the French Affairs and the Army was so much discouraged that it immediately retired in some disorder when being pursued and hotly engaged by Montecuculi the Imperial General between Six and Seven thousand of them were slain and several Colours with some Cannon and Baggage taken the Count de Lorge who Commanded after the

Death of Turin being wounded and many Persons of Quality killed This was seconded by the Overthrow of the Mareschal de Crequi near Treves For the Confederates having besieged that place which had been surprized by the French the Mareschal came to Succour it but the Besiegers drawing off and giving him Battel his Forces were totally defeated with the loss of Three or Four thousand Men and of all the Baggage and Cannon c. the broken Army scattering and getting into the adjacent Town The Mareschal with sive or six men got into Treves and the Governour being killed took upon him to defend the place but the Besiegers having made Three Breaches so wide that Forty Men a-breast might enter the Officers finding the Ditches likewise filled up and the Storm ready to be made they Capitulated without Crequi who to regain in some measure the Credit he had lost suffered himself to be made a Prisoner of War Binch was likewise taken by the Dutch and many other Advantages gained So that Lewis the Great began to think that he had overstood his Markets and thought it high time to look out for Confederates Whereupon he drew the King of Sweeden into an Alliance with him to divert the War on that side of the King of Denmark and Duke of Brandenburg But the Sweeds had but little Success in his Quarrel as being worsted by Land and Sea and having nothing but the French King's Word for Reparation Insomuch that they were obliged to sit down by the Loss and thereupon Lewis XIV began to tamper with the States of Holland to clap up a Peace without the Consent of their Allies But whilst it was on Foot which made the King grant the larger Terms his Forces under the Duke of Luxemburg were beaten near Mons by the English Dutch and Germans In which Action his present Majesty of England signalized his Valour and Conduct to a wonder and the Duke of Monmouth being a Voluntier in the Army by his Example so animated the English that they let the French see they were capable of turning the Scale of Victory These Bad Successes making Lewis the Great fear he should be reduced to Lewis the Little he made such Offers which were seconded by many Promises and Crafty Insinuations that the States did conclude a peace and had all their Towns except Maestreicht delivered into their possession which made many wonder But those that have weighed the Matter give these Reasons for their making a peace when other Princes their Confederates were in Treaty for that of Nimeguen was still on Foot First They perceived the Ambassadors of their Allies had been several Years in debate at Nimeguen without bringing any thing to Perfection as to the Treaty with France and they had greatly wasted their Treasure in the War and found a peace was necessary to Recruit Secondly Their Trade on which the Provinces mostly depend was greatly obstructed by which means the People were Impoverished Thirdly They were Constrained to take up Moneys on the publick Trust to supply the Charge of the War which being of long Continuance could not but have consumed vast Treasures Fourthly That the Spaniard had not those Forces on foot in the Netherlands that was Expected which might have hindered the French from taking several Towns in Flanders of which without any considerable Opposition they had possessed themselves Fifthly That all things were restored to them that had been taken away which would have been difficult to have Recovered by other means Sixthly By this Treaty they caused to be rendered up to Spain part of what had been taken during the War Seventhly That the French Ministers assured the States that they would speedily make a Peace with their Allies and that they the States should be Arbitrators of that Peace These are given as Reasons And indeed considering how the Ministers of France pressed it with Eagerness and declared the Extream Passion and Desire the King their Master had to be at peace it might have been thought that he mean'd as he said The King himself during the Negotiation sent them a Letter wherein he styled them His good Friends Allies and Confederates promising wonderful things in the most obliging Flattery But no Words or Promises can bind this Leviathan for Lewis knew well enough what he did by making a Separate Peace considering if he should be brought to Strict Terms with all the Allies he must of Necessity part with Lorrain to the Duke its Rightful Lord and with the Franche Compte of Bourgogne to the King of Spain taken contrary to faith given since the Pyrenean Treaty But by not having the Dutch Army upon his back he sound himself able to deal with the rest and to tire them out by delays And indeed by taking these Measures he constrained the Duke of Brandenburg and the Prince of Zel to restore all they had taken from the Sweed since that King stood for the French Interest King Charles II. of England perceiving Lewis XIV delayed the Treaty to incroach upon Flanders found his Honour touched since he became a Mediator and was to be Guarrantee of the Peace And thereupon sent over five or six Thousand Men to defend the Spanish Netherlands where the French during the Treaty and daily Expectation of Peace were like so many Tartars or wild Arabians Ravaging and destroying the Country but the Terrour of the English put a Check to their Progress Lewis XIV having obtained a Peace with the States of the Vnited Provinces he more and more delayed the Treaty of Nimeguen as not doubting to bring the other Confederates to more Advantageous Terms than otherwise he could have been capable of doing And that which made the French King more urgent for a Separate Peace was that he knew well enough that it could not be Reasonably made with the Allies in Conjunction but that the Country of Lorrain would be required for that Duke and the Franche Compte for the King of Spain or what ever had been snatched from that Crown since the Pyrenean Peace which had been so openly violated by France And therefore he concluded to divide the Allies was to make his own Terms And indeed it so fell out to the great prejudice of the Confederaters Especially Spain and the Empire as in due place will appear And indeed Lewis XIV by this means preserved most of his important Conquests at that time whilst the Elector of Brandenburg and the Prince of Zell found themselves in a Necessity to Restore to Sweden all they had taken or by standing out run the Hazard of a French Army Ravaging their Countries whilst their Allies who had already made peace could not fairly give them any Assistence unless like him with whom they had made the peace they layed no Stress upon Leagues any longer than it tended to their purpose But the Emperor as well as Holland having concluded with France the rest found themselves too weak long to contend with a Monarch of such vast

Territories and one whose Flatterers style Invincible though the contrary has often appeared And according to the opinion of Politicians and those Experienced in war had that vast Army of the Confederates been unanimous and vigourously pushed on they might by entering the very Heart of France have reduced the Greatness of Lewis and have made their own Terms Sed divide et Impera The Peace as is already said being concluded with Holland at Nimeguen about the latter End of the Year 1678 was soon followed by his Imperial Majesty But before either of these were concluded it will not be amiss to shew the plausible pretences of Lewis XIV to the former in a Letter in Answer to a Letter to the States General presented him by their Ambassador the Heer Vain Beverning in these Words Most dear great Friends Allies and Confederates WE have with much Pleasure understood as by the Letter you writ us so by the Assurances which the Heer Van Beverning your Extraordinary Ambassador hath in your Name given us the Dispositions in which you profess your selves to be at Peace We cannot better let you know how firm and sincere our Intentions are to procure so great and so general a Good for Europe than by a Writing which we have Commanded to be put into his Hands You will see the new Facilities we offer to put you in a State to bring your Allies to consent to the Conditions which we cannot doubt but you will judge Equitable And having nothing farther to add thereunto we only assure you of the Satisfaction we shall have of giving you back with the Peace our old and real Friendship and in entering with you into the strongest and most capable Engagements for securing ever your Liberty which we have more amply explained our self upon to the Heer Van Beverning whose Conduct and Person hath been very acceptable to us There remains only That we pray God to have you most dear great Friends Allies and Confederates in his holy Keeping Given in our Camp at Wetteren the First Day of June 1678. Your good Friend Ally and Confederate LOVIS Underneath Signed Arnauld The Matter to which Lewis XIV refers them to is a Memorial delivered to the aforesaid Ambassador by his Order in these following Words THE King hath with Pleasure seen as by a Letter from the States General so by the Assurances which they have given him by the Heer Van Beverning their Extraordinary Ambassador that their Intentions to a general Peace correspond with the Desires his Majesty hath always had to procure the same and that they are ready to accept the Conditions that his Majesty hath offered them by his Ambassadors and Plenepotentiaries at Nimeguen But at the same time the Heer Van Beverning hath made known to him the Sentiments of the said States General he hath in their Names pray'd that his Majesty would grant a Cessation of Arms for six Weeks and hath represented to him that they had need of that time to Communicate with their Allies and obtain their Consent for the concluding so great a Work The Condition in which his Majesty's Arms are at present and the favourable Opportunity that would be lost in deferring their Acting would not permit him to consent to this Proposal if the desire of giving Peace to Europe did not much more prevail with him than that of enlarging his Frontiers by new Conquests It is upon this Consideration of contributing to the publick Repose that he will agree at the desire of the said States General to a Cessation of Arms for Six Weeks such a one as was stipulated between France and Spain Anno 1668. But for as much as it would not be just if the Enemies of his Majesty should let the time pass fruitlesly and that instead of its serving to Advance the Peace they should make Advantage of it to avoid the Effect of his Majesty's Arms that he should have lost the advantageous Conjuncture that is at present in his Hands His Majesty desires of the said States General that they do promise him that in case during the Time of Cessation of Arms they cannot bring their Allies to accept the Conditions he hath offered that they will not assist them directly or indirectly against him or his Allies during the whole Course of the War In Exchange his Majesty will in such Case renew to them the same Engagements which he hath taken with them by his Letter of the Eighteenth of the last Month as well as what concerns these same Conditions which he will be always ready to agree to As for the security of the Places in the Spanish Netherlands his Majesty hath thought fit to make known unto the States General by this Memorial which he hath appointed to be delivered to the Heer Van Beverning the sincerity of his Intentions for a Peace And to give yet a greater Testimony thereof he doth Command the Duke of Luxemburg General of his Army to go and expect their Answer during this Month in the Neighbourhood of Brussels with Orders not to Attack any Place during that time In this we may observe no small piece of French Policy not so much desiring the Peace of Europe which has never been the aim of this Ambitious Prince as during the time of this Truce to draw his Army farther into Flanders which soon after proved almost the Ruine of many delicious places in that fruitful Country when Peace was in the highest Prospect And these Flatteries served only to render those he treated with somewhat more secure whilst he made his own Markets And indeed by these and such like Artifices he gained upon the Belief and good Intention of the Confederates more than by open sincerity he thought convenient to do For Lewis XIV having earnestly sued for Peace though under a Reserve or Mask of Disguise which was not then sufficiently looked through all the Princes and States of Christendom supposed they should remain at rest and those Countries that were at the brink of Ruine by being the Seats of a tedious War began to rejoice thinking the French King in good earnest and that he would after so much Waste and Desolation by Firing Plundering Quartering Exactions Contributions Slaughters and making the Fields white with the Bones of the Slain whilst the Rivers were discoloured and run red to the Sea with Christian Blood take pity on the languishing Estate of Europe there being a powerful Enemy in the East viz. the Ottoman Emperor But instead of Sincerity all proved but outside and formal For France rather coveted time to breath a little than to give over And Lewis who so often pretends to make War for the Glory of his Arms that he might with less trouble Invade the Netherlands secretly Negotiated with Teckely to Invade with an Army such as he could gather in the Turkish Territories the Emperor 's Hereditary Countries in Hungary c. furnishing him with Money and folliciting by his Ambassadors at Constantinople with Gifts Presents

had an Influence upon hindering the Cardinal of Furstemburgh whom he says he for many Reasons was bound to Influence and Protect from being Invested in the Electorate of Cologne And for this Reason and no other given he declares War against them by Sea and Land commanding his Subjects to fall upon them forbidding Trade or Commerce upon pain of Death and Revokes all Pasports and Safe Conduct c. By this we may see that he bore himself mightily upon the Election of that Cardinal whom not only a great part of the Roman Clergy but the Pope himself looked upon as an Enemy to the Church By which it may appear That the French King's Pretensions to Support him tended only to sinister Ends and hopes by this means to annex that Electorate to the Crown of France Upon this Declaration contrary to the Law of Nations a Guard was set upon the Dutch Ambassador which obliged the States General to do the like upon Monsieur d' Avaux by which means an Exchange was made and either of them permitted to return And now though in the depth of Winter the French were abroad ravaging the Country and although this King had not declared against Spain yet a great Impost was laid on Goods to be brought out of the Spanish Netherlnads But perceiving the Confederate Armies drawing together in great Bodies he caused several of the Towns he had possessed himself of in the Palatinate to be slighted and many Dismantled or Demolished the Souldiers requiring great Summs of the Inhabitants to save them from plundering Yet many after they had paid what was demanded had their Goods taken away and their Persons miserably misused To retaliate in some Measure these Proceedings the Governour of the Spanish Netherlands laid an Impost upon Wines and Brandy of which when the Mareschal complained his Excellency told him He could not but wonder that his Master having done the like on the Goods of that Country he should find any Reason to complain The Emperor moreover commanded the French Envoy to leave Vienna and the Plenepotentiary of Ratisbone Prince Clement of Bavaria refused to see the French Minister sent to Complement him because he denied to give him the Style of Elector and those Canons of the Electorate were commanded to leave him and return to their Dignities on pain of being Dispossessed and of incurring Excommunication Whereupon the Cardinal in a Pet made a new Protestation against the Pope's Proceedings touching the Electorate of Cologne Whilst these things were doing the French Troops quitted Heylbourn after having Plundered it blown up the Gates and part of the Walls carrying with them four Hostages for the payment of Fifty thousand Crowns laid as a Tax They likewise flighted Offemburgh demolished Manheim and burnt Oberadt with the Villages belonging to that City declaring they would burn and destroy all the Places of the Palatinate and Electorate of Mentz except Philipsburgh And indeed the whole Country at a distance seemed in the Night time for some space but one Fire the Villages and Towns every where flaming which shew how little Lewis XIV notwithstanding his specious Pretences regards the Peace and Tranquillity of Europe this way of burning being altogether a Turkish Fashion which is not for his Glory to imitate These Proceedings made the Swisses that were in the French Service in the Electorate of Cologne quit it declaring They could not fight against the Empire and thereupon the Cardinal sent to the French Court for more Assistence to secure Bonne the Cittadel of Liege was commanded to be blown up and accordingly performed except one Bastion and its Works and although the Castle of Montjoy Surrendered upon good Articles the Soldiers contrary to Faith given were made Prisoners of War and slighting Huy they blew up the Walls and either destroyed or much defaced all the Places in the Diocese except Chinay which they Garrisoned On the 12th of February 1688. the States of the Empire assembled at Ratisbone having taken into their Consideration the Mischief the French had done contrary to the Truce of Twenty Years concluded at Nimeguen proceeded to give their Resolutions to stand by the Emperor and assist him with all their Forces for the suppressing the Disturber of Christendom setting forth at large their Resentments of his Proceedings Upon this and the like Resolution the French bethought themselves of slighting Heydelburgh and Frankendale and Fortified Mentz Bonne and such other Places as they conceived tenable And now the States of Holland finding the French Men of War and Privateers had taken many of their Merchants and that open Hostilities were begun proceeded to proclaim War against France and accordingly a Declaration of War was published at the Hague and at other Places setting forth That considering the French King had openly broke the Treaties and Peace conluded without any just Reason or manner of cause and had declared War against them on groundless Pretences they find themselves constrained to make a publick Declaration of War against France And towards the Conclusion they strictly command viz. 1. That none of the Inhabitants of this State or any Foreigner residing within their Territories shall Transport any thing to France that is prejudicial to the State 2. That all Counterband Goods that shall be taken going to France shall be declared Prize 3. That good Security shall be given by all Persons carrying any Goods out of these Countries that they are not designed for France 4. That all Ships laden with Counterband Goods that shall be found on the French Coast shall be taken for good Prize 5. That all Ships ought to have lawful Pasports 6. The Men of War not to molest any Ships having such Pasports and not bound with Counterband Goods to the Ports of France 7. That such as shall be offending herein shall be punished with Confiscation of Ship and Goods 8. That the Commanders of the Ships of War shall punctually govern themselves in this matter according to the Treaties made in relation thereto with other Kings Princes and States 9. That the Admiralties shall have the Cognizances of these Offences 10 11 12. The Money arising by such Confiscations shall be disposed of as has been practised in like Cases and as to the Seizures c. Former Placates to be observed 13. None of the Inhabitants of this State shall Insure any French Ships or Goods or others bound to France on Penalty of forfeiting the Summ Insurred The Confederates being early Abroad this Spring the French had not so good Success as the former For the Brandenburgh Forces defeated a great Party of the Garrison of Nuis as likewise gave another Defeat to the Chevalier de Sourdis who came with a strong Party to the Relief of the other killing a great number in the Fight and pursuit gaining a good Booty Upon these Defeats the Castles of Lintz Nuis Zons c. surrendered and the French set Fire to and blew up many places they despaired to keep which so astonished the