any likelihood of engaging therein with safety and being seconded upon occasion of which indeed there is but little probability as long as affairs shall continue in the condition wherein they are at present This indeed is the thing which of all others France would be very loth to see because the hearty Union of these two Governments would in all probability put a stop to the French Kings undertakings overturn all his designs and put him into an utter incapacity of attempting any thing against the Peace of Nimeguen or the Truce with the Emperor But France carries a watchful eye to prevent this Capital inconvenience and that by an assiduous fomenting and cherishing feuds and animosities between those two Nations and improving every occurrence to this purpose of which we have a fresh instance in the business of Bantam which had been long ago made up but that France who finds it best fishing in troubled waters thinks it more for his Interest that it should remain undertermin'd which is the very reason why it was never made an end of but kept as a reserve for a quarrel upon occasion That there can be nothing so evidently destructive of the French Designs as this Union between England and Holland is very apparent England can when it pleases overturn the projects of France against the Spanish Netherlands neither could that King ever have taken Luxemburg if the late King of England had had the least inclination to oppose him in that attempt but the French King so well knew to take him by the blind side that he did not perceive the mischief till the City was taken It was a Capital Error for England to part with Dunkirk a place that open'd a passage for them to France and the Low Countries but it would make the matter much worse if all those Countries should be fain to submit to the Tyranny of Lewis the Great and he by this means should join Newport and Ostend to Dunkirk for then would Flushing follow by Consequence and that King be put into a condition to dispute the Soveraignty of the Sea with his British Majesty and destroy the Navigation and Commerce of this flourishing Kingdom Having got thus far he would proceed to an entire conquest of the Vnited Provinces which point being once gain'd by him England would have but little reason to flatter it self with the hopes of a better Lot Renowned Queen Elizabeth of happy Memory was so sensible of what is here alledged that she told Monsieur de Sully the French Kings Ambassadour at her Majesties Court that neither France nor England nor any other Prince or State whatsoever ought to lay any claim to the Low Countries and that she would never suffer the King his Master to make the least attempt that way Upon which Monsieur de Sully sent word to his Master Henry the Fourth that notwithstanding the opposite sentiments of the Queen his Majesty might by means of great forces keep his friends within their own bounds and possess himself of such Territories and Cities in the Low Countries as should be necessary to joyn France and the United Provinces wholly and inseparably together which was said he the only way to restore France to its Primitive Grandure and glory and pitch it above the rest of Christendome for if by any means the Provinces of Luxemburg Juliers Mark Mons Aix and Cleves were once Vnited to France there was no doubt but the rest of the Country would be forc'd to follow their example being deprived of all communication and correspondence with the rest of the world Sure it is France has always inclin'd this way since they have observed that they could not compass their design by Italy as the Romans of old which Conquest tho it be the interest of all Princes of Europe to prevent as much as in them lies yet it is evident that these two States who are nearer at hand and can better do it are the most of all concern'd to put a stop to the Progress of the French in the Low Countries which would not fail to be attended with dismal consequences to them as before mention'd As for Spain it is a Body deprived of the use of its Limbs and to which nothing remains but that of its Tongue viz. To pray and entreat its good Friends and Allies not to forsake it But none can do more than England towards the Preservation of the Low Countries and if his British Majesty had not promised to stand still Luxemburg would still be in the State wherein it was formerly and a Bone for France to pick. The French King is so well aware of this that he takes all the care he can to keep the King of England on his side or at least to remain Neuter in case he will not declare himself for him To which purpose he spares nothing neither Presents Pensions nor Arts to keep all safe on that side But alas this Money and those Presents of France are like a Snake hid under Rose-leaves This is a Smiling Lip which hereafter will prove a deadly Sting They are Iron Chains gilded o're to deceive the Eyes of those who now admires what hereafter they will have occasion to lament if they do not betimes discover the Cheat of him who designs to enslave them England subsists by ballancing the Crown of France and Spain and keeping them in equal poise wherefore it must needs be the Interest of that Kingdom by all means possible to prevent the Low Countries from becoming an occasion to the overweight of France lest by this means it should be incapacitated to maintain the Balance of Europe for time to come For if ever by ill Fortune the French King should make himself Master of all the 17 Provinces as 't is his great Aim and may easily be brought to pass if the States be not seconded what condition will England then be in France will be stronger than they at Sea and in the Indies and consequently interrupt their Commerce and Navigation by keeping a great Fleet abroad especially in the Channel so that nothing shall be able to stir out of the English Havens but by their leave and upon the least occasion the total Conquest of England must needs ensue and that without Remedy there being no body in a condition to stave off their final Ruin Moreover the true Interest of England is to keep France low as well to preserve the Dominion of the Sea as to find a favourable occasion to recover those ancient Dominions the French King keeps from them as are the Dukedoms of Britany and Normandy Poictou Languedoc nay France it self for of the Marriage of the King of England with Margaret Daughter to Philip the Fair was born Henry the Fifth King of England who had the same Right to France as the Dauphin has to Spain The Three Sons of King Philip the Fair viz. Lewis Hutin Philip the Tall and Charles the Fair died all without Issue Male And it was not
till after this when the King of England prosecuted his Right to the Kingdom of France that the Salick Law was made upon a Speech of the Bishop of Beauvais's in the Assembly of the States in which he endeavoured to make out from an allusion to that place of the Gospel The Lillies Spin not that the Crown of France ought not to fall to the Distaff But that Law could not prescribe to time past but only to that which was to come and consequently could not invalidate the King of England's Pretensions After this Henry the Fifth entring France with a powerful Army and having defeated the French in several Battels Married Catharin Daughter to Charles the Sixth and in the Year 1441 it was concluded that Henry should be King of France Isabella also who was Queen of France and Mother to Catharin Queen of England made her last Will in Favour of her Son in Law declaring him therein the sole Heir of all her Estate and of the Crown which encreases the just Pretensions and strengthens the Rights of England to the Kingdom of France Had the French King but half the Pretensions to England which the King of England has to France the World would soon hear of nothing but Manifesto's to prove them just as he calls all he does So that the King of England ought upon all occasions and in all respects to suspect France and to beware of him as a most dangerous Enemy who flatter'd and humour'd his late Majesty only to lull him asleep that he might play his game without being disturb'd or interrupted by him who whenever it shall please him to mind and be true to his own Interest will undoubtedly carry the greatest stroke in the Affairs of Europe 'T is therefore no wonder that King Lewis the Fourteenth spared nothing that might supply the Necessities or provide for the Pleasures of the late King Charles the Second as Monsieur Barillon and the Dutchess of Portsmouth can Witness But I must tell you that the French King confiders no Body whether Prince or private Person any further than as they may be servicable to promote his own ends Yea Vertue it self is not esteemed by him except it go hand in hand with his Interest Do but confider what account he made of the Princes and Princesses of England in Cromwels time were they not obliged to leave France and to seek for Entertainment elsewhere And it is notorious that he never contributed any thing towards the late Kings Restauration till it was past his skill to hinder it So that upon the whole neither the Resentment of the Royal Family nor the Interest of England will allow of such strict Alliances with France as might tie up the King of Englands hands and make him an idle Spectator whilst Lewis the Great makes himself Master of the Low Countries but on the contrary he must always be ready to oppose any the least Attempt he shall make toward it making use in the mean time of the Six Regiments he has in Holland which the States will not deny him on that account till he can send some other Troops over to Flanders I am perswaded that those Six Regiments will be able to make Head against double the number of Frenchmen and when England shall thus be pleased but to shew its Teeth all Europe will thereby be safe Resist the Devil and he will fly from you but if you fear him he will make you his Slaves France has cut out work enough for King James the Second and the business that he hath taken in hand is so great that many people fear and others hope he 'l never compass it 'T is not a time to alter old Laws when the Enemy is at the Gates 't is not always seasonable for a King to act the Missionary but much more requisite that he shew himself a brave Soldier and good Politician All the World was in expectation of great things from his Majesty his Courage put all Europe in hopes of an universal Relief and some Respite for Spain but how has he frustrated and befool'd their Hopes whilst his sole Study is to please the Jesuits and to kindle a Fire in his own Kingdom which probably he will never be able to quench when he would as long as he dares not Convene a Free Parliament As Spain became depopulated by the departure of the Moors so is France greatly weaken'd and impoverished by the Dragoon Conversions and flight of the Protestants and the French King would fain see England brought to the same pass 'T is a high Presumption to rob God of his Right 't is to him the Honour of Converting does belong that work surpassing the Power and Activity of a Creature So leaving that care to God the King of England ought to lay out his Endeavours about preserving his Dominions from becoming a Prey to that Ambitious Prince by obliging him to keep within his own bounds and not to encroach upon his Neighbours Territories and in so doing the King will make good the Hopes and Expectation Europe had conceived of him The Designs of France against theVnited Provinces AFter the States of the Vnited Provinces had by their Powerful Arms constrained Spain to acknowledge them a Free State who owed Allegiance to none but God alone they were for a time the Object of their Neighbours Admiration and Envy every one endeavouring to Court and make Alliances with this growing State which began to be lookt upon as the Umpire of Europe But this high Reputation of theirs has suffer'd a notable Eclipse since the War of 1672 when France having brought them to the very brink of Destruction pleas'd himself with the thoughts of seeing them tumble headlong into the Pit he had digged for them neither would he have been mistaken in his hopes had not the people given a sudden and unlookt for turn to the face of Affairs by declaring the Prince of Orange Stadthouder the Providence of Almighty God at the same time concurring with their Endeavours to preserve that small Spot of Ground by confounding and daunting their Enemies who after the taking of Naerden were struck with such a Panick Fear that theâ— ran away none pursuing them Now what contributed most to the Mischiefs they were involved in at that time was that besides the Treasonable Correspondences which France held with some principal Members of that Government they had neither any good Troops nor a Commander in Chief and relying on the Peace and fair Promises of France they were well nigh lull'd asleep by that fatal Melody whilst that King was hard at work to undermine the Foundation of their dear bought Liberties and Government We find in time of Peace the Soldiers grow Idle as well as their Arms rusty Ease pleaseth and flatters us and Men are soon perswaded to lay aside the Exercise of Arms to betake themselves to a more gainful way of Living so that when the Enemy approached they are readier to embrace shame
when joyned with Profit and Pleasure than to strive for Glory surrounded with difficulties and dangers France knew very well that so long as the Vnited Provinces had no General that Soldiery could not be but in a very bad Condition and incapable of defending them from the Attempts of a powerful Enemy wherefore he took special Care by cunning Practices and false Suggestions exasperating the Minds of the opposite Party to prevent the Prince of Orange's being advanced to those places of Trust and Dignity His Royal Highness is now so deservedly possessed of By this means the States grew daily weaker and weaker their Troops were dissipated their Fortifications neglected their Strongest Holds went to decay their Magazins were unfurnish'd whilst France was raising Troops under-hand and making Secret Alliances with England the Elector of Cologne and Bâ—shop of Munster in order to their final Ruin Du Plessis is much in the right when he saith That a State is not to be judged strong or weak but with relation to the strength or weakness of its Neighbours and that it is upon that score that Wise Princes endeavour to keep themselves as much as they can in equal potse with their Neighbours to the end they continue in Peace and Amity together for as soon as this fails all Peace and Good Correspondence are dissolved as being only grounded upon a mutual fear or esteem for one another Which is so true that a Prudent Prince is always jealous of the least advance or motion of his Neighbour tho in a time of Truce or Peace and is continually upon his Watch endeavouring to be informed of his Designs before they be brought forth for by this means he puts him by his Measures and frustrates his Purposes In which point many Princes and States who are too saving fail very oft and this Covetousness of theirs costs them and their People very dear by occasioning a most Expensive War vvhich at the first by Precaution might have been prevented with a small Matter France is so well Informed of this Truth that they neglect nothing in such Cases and their Ambassadors in all the Courts of Europe are supplied with Moneys for that very purpose who knowing they cannot please their Master better than by Corrupting one or more of the Ministers of the Prince or State at whose Court they reside are Day and Night contriving for it and spare nothing to bring it about Yea when it happens that they cannot prevail with the Man himself they aim at they endeavour to gain his Wife or in case they chance to be so unhappy as to fail there also they condescend to make their Application to some of their Children nay so humble are they and such Slaves to their Master's Ambition that they will not stick to bribe their Servants and furnish them with Moneys proportionable to the Service they are able and willing to do them These are the Maxims that speed their Designs wonderful well in such States as are governed by many Heads as the Vnited Provinces which are a great Bar to the French King in his aim of Conquering the Spanish Netherlands who very well knows that being Master of the one he cannot miss of the other His great business therefore is to lull the States of the Vnited Provinces asleep with a Truce which he will break when he pleases being in hopes that their Forces will in the mean time be neglected in laying out themselves wholly to propagate and encourage Trade and Navigation For that King is well aware that the States being awake and standing on their Guard will never consent to his possessing himself of the Spanish Netherlands at least they ought not to do it since that it is the only Bar and Rampart which hinders France from overwhelming them which they ought therefore by all means to endeavour to preserve whole and entire as one would his Neighbours House from being set on Fire What pains did not Count d' Avaux take to set one Province against the other and to sow Divisions among the Cities of Holland how busie was he at Amsterdam What Proffers or Promises did he spare to bring it about Which is a thing so publickly known from that Ambassador's frequent Journeys to that great City that the very Children were not ignorant of it We must not imagine that Mombas was alone engag'd in his Treason against that State but rather that he escaping into France has left several behind him that walk in the dark and are not yet discovered The best on 't is that Count d' Avaux begins now to be known and his Insinuations not believed he having but too long imposed upon the Credulity and good Nature of many who now perceiving the Cheat will scarcely suffer themselves to be decoy'd a second time And as France was diligent to sow these Divisions and Jealousies amongst them at home so was he no less Industrious in fomenting Differences between England and them as knowing very well that these Neighbouring Powers when joyn'd together are able to give check to his Pride and set bounds to his Ambition How pleasing a sight is it to the French King to see them engag'd against each other and pursuing his Interests at so vast an Expence of their own Blood and Treasure The last War betweeen those two States was some difference about Matters of Commerce and whilst the King of England was Arming the French King offer'd to engage in a Treaty with Holland on purpose to amuse and divert them from putting themselves in a posture of Defence as they soon after perceived when France instead of concluding the Treaty begun with them declared himself for England and whilst the latter Attacked them by Sea he Invaded their Country with a Puissant Army and supposing the Conquest of those Provinces indubitable they had afore-hand divided them amongst themselves England being to have for his share the Maritime Places and France all the rest Amsterdam only proved a Bone of Contention and occasion'd some Difference between them both the one and the other desiring it for his share tho indeed they had no reason to be in a heat about it seeing all this was but reckoning without their Host God preserving it from falling into either of their Hands Thus a Peace being at last concluded with England the Spirit of France was at work again to with draw the States from their Allies and finding that things were about to change face and that the Outch being row sed by a Discovery of the Artifices and Treachery of France began to look about them and their Troops having a good General at the Head of them became considerable and formidable he thought fit for a while to dismiss the Lion and act the Fox restoring Maestricht unto them in order to obtain the Peace of Nimeguen Since which time that King has contented himself to bark afar off and was so apprehensive of the States raising the last 6000 Men that Count d' Avaux spar'd
nothing to prevent it and will do so still as often as the States shall go about to Arm themselves because that would stop the Great Lewis in the full Career of his Conquests and make his Designs to prove abortive I say again that it is the great Concern of Holland not to suffer the Spanish Netherlands to be lost except they desire at the same time to become a prey to the Usurper For how easily will he find an occasion of quarrel with them and if all else fail he will make out his Pretensions and Right to those Provinces for that they formerly belonged to Mary of Burgundy Philip the First Charles the Fift and afterwards to Philip the Second who were without Contest the lawful Possessors thereof and that afterwards rebelling they obtained by force an acknowledgment of their being a free State He will proffer to maintain them in all their Liberties and Priviledges and the free Exercise of their Religion in case they willingly submit to him which if they should hearken to he will by little and little clip their Franchises and remove all Protestants from places of Trust as he has done at home and if they yield not willingly he will attack them with an armed hand as he did in 1672 being sure the Roman Catholick Princes will not oppose him because he has blinded their Eyes with the false pretence of Religion But if the House of Austria be not aware betimes of the Snares he lays for them under these specious Pretexts they will find themselves deceiv'd when it is too late to recall their Inadvertency To return to the Vnited Provinces I say they ought next to God not to rely upon any thing so much as their own Forces and having nothing so much to fear as France they ought to provide and strengthen themselves against his Power chiefly who has for this great while been plotting and contriving their final Overthrow or at least the bringing of them so low as to be forced to depend solely upon and truckle under him It has some time since been observ'd that France has had a strong desire to make Holland listen to the Proposal and Treaty which the Wolf in the Fable made with the Sheep Put away from you said the Wolf to those harmless Creatures your Shepherd and Dog and we will make an Alliance and live in Love and Amity together In like manner says Lewis the Great Dismiss your General and Disband your Old Troops for to what purpose these unnecessary Charges in a time of Peace especially being so well assur'd of our Friendship by the Truce I am engaged in and the word of a King which you may safely rely on that we will live in all Amity and good Correspondence with you But what says the Italian Trust not if thou wouldst not be cheated So that it is still safest for Holland to rely wholly on its own strength and to have always a good Fleet at Sea to serve for Convoy and Cruising besides a Reserve in readiness to join with them in case of need A good Navy may well be call'd the Right hand of that Government being of great use in dispelling many Clouds and ill Designs which France hatcheth against his Neighbours And if ever the States should come to a Resolution continually to keep in Pay a certain Number of Seamen to be ready to be put aboard their Men of War at any time this would produce a double good Effect The first is that the States would always have Men ready at hand upon occasion without the Expence of Trouble and Time in raising them who by their continual Employment would be trained up and well used to the Sea and Naval Conflicts The second is that by this means they would not fail to draw a great number of Seamen from the Neighbouring Coasts continual Pay being no small Encouragement to Mariners to betake themselves to the Service of those that offer it but more especially the States Subjects in Foreign Service would not fail to return to their own Country to enjoy the benefit of being maintain'd all the year round To effect which the States need only to publish a Placaet strictly enjoining all Seamen their Subjects in Foreign Service to return home True indeed it is that the Navy of France will but be little the better for it for I dare affirm they can fit out very few Men of War without putting some Dutch Mariners especially Pilots aboard them as trusting more to their Knowledge and Experience than their own who are oft at a loss in a long Voyage Which good and wholsom Resolution when ever the States shall be please to take you 'l presently see the Spirit of France strangely exasperated and disturb'd and his Ambassador running from one City to another to represent his Master's just Reasons against it But 't is hoped that as the Count d' Avaux has much laid open himself to an obvious discovery by the small Effects his Promises have had hitherto as not being scason'd with the Salt of Truth and Honesty the main thing that keeps up the Credit and Reputation of a Minister in Foreign Countries so he 'l do nothing but catch cold However I cannot deny but the French King is beholden to that Creat Minister for his having inspired a Fondness for France into the minds of several of the States Subjects which their Lordships have no reason to thank him for Besides this France receives no small service from the Jesuits and other Foreign Priests residing in the Vnited Provinces who have Pensions allow'd them to pry into and engage the Inclinations of many there These Spies are in the Prince's Court where they have Friends that serve them on occasion and have the Impudence to boast That they are informed of the very Secrets of the Cabinet How many of this sort of Cattle are there in the States Troops and Garisons who have their Correspondents at the Hague where the General Office of Intelligence is kept as being the Centre of that Government This is a thing that ought to be more narrowly lookt to these Spies being no other but the Emissaries of France who is always restless and spares nothing that may further his Designs I remember that not long since 4 Ducatoons a week were proffer'd a Servant of a Deputy of the State only to report what he heard from his Master at Table or in Conversation with others but the Servant with sharp words rejected the Proffer as became an honest Man This Instance shews that France sets upon People every way and that therefore one had need always to stand upon his Guard to avoid the Blow I have also observ'd that there are another sort of petty Spies that run up and down the chief Towns especially the Hague daily shifting their Ordinaries except they find occasion to stay longer and are in prospect of some advantage to be reap'd there of whom those who are oblig'd to frequent such Houses ought to beware Others intrude themselves into Companies or resort to the Court and go to see the Prince and Princess at Dinner and Supper to hear and see what is said or done there and as soon as they have heard or seen any thing of concern you see them run like Foot boys to the French Ambassador's who for a Reward invites them to stay and eat with him he now entertaining scarce any but such at his Table I could name a dozen of them who to my knowledge are employ'd in this way besides those that do it more secretly and go to the Offering only at Night and through the Stable door Count de Caravas one of these Spies of great Note though in my judgment of as little use was not so cautious who coming from Court would go into the Ambassador's at the Fore-door in the middle of the day to communicate to him his Collections Two persons whom I know to be Jesuits thô in the Garb of Officers resort every day to the Princes Rising Dinner and Supper and continually attend the Court where they have so many Friends or at least so much cunning as to be able to procure their Catholick Friends some Employment who are all Emissaries of France and wholly devoted to the service of that King Others have put themselves to serve even in the Kitchin where such sort of Cattle are very dangerous Therefore I conclude that both the States and Prince of Orange ought in all Respects and at all Times to be very cautious of the wicked and unchristian Maxims and Designs of France the King himself being a false and perjur'd person who under pretence of establishing the Roman Catholick Religion everywhere thô by his wicked Life and breach of Faith he denies all Religion has no other aim but to extend his Dominion to the uttermost Bounds of Europe and to that end destroy first all the Protestant Princes and then the Roman Catholick too that so he may cause himself to be proclaimed not the Emperor of the Romans only but of all Europe and certain it is that nothing can serve him as a Bridge to the Vniversal Monarchy but Holland which from his Versailles he looks upon with a most envious Eye So that the States and People of those Provinces have great reason to mind the advice of our Saviour to the Jews Watch for you know not what hour the Thief will come To which I add Be ready therefore to oppose him when he shall come to break into the House and usurp his Neighbours Territories and be sure to look upon France as a sworn Enemy to Republicks and the Plague and Scourge of all that will not yield their Liberties up to him True it is he sears the States more than he loves them care therefore must be taken to be always in such a condition as may still keep him so and to make him know himself when ever he shall so far forget himself as to meddle with what he has nothing to do All the Remonstrances made by Count d' Avaux as soon as he sees the States putting themselves into a posture of Defence must not be minded as being meerly upon design for we may be sure that Minister would not make them were it not for the promoting of his Masters Interests FINIS