Selected quad for the lemma: state_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A34296
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The Congress at The Hague
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C. W.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing C5843; ESTC R1457
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28,593
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80
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amongst all his Neighbours and died with a masculine Constancy temper'd by a Christian Humility He told the People that tho no man could positively say he had committed the Crime for which he suffer'd yet he himself could not say neither that he had not done it He prayed fervently and then submitted to the Stroke that depriving him of his Life gave birth to the most dangerous Monster in a Body Politick It was reported That the Scout had a pique against this man for having once hindered the advancement of some Affairs that he thought might have turn'd to his advantage Some pretended to have heard him say That if ever he had the good luck to fall into his clutches he would remember him for his Kindness which being spread all the Town over made some sad impressions upon the Spirits of the People preparing the most forward of them for an Insurrection Numbers of them were seen walking together in the Streets carrying some mischievous marks of indignation in their countenances all of them speaking and none hearing when upon a sudden one of the Soldiers of the Militia a consciencious Rebel came to tell them That he himself had had the misfortune to kill the Officer of the Customs shewing the bloody Sword with which he had perpetrated the Crime and that the other was fallen an innocent Victim to the revengeful Scout That he was sorry but they would hear no more they got Arms and away they marched to the Scout's House and by going their strength did increase It was observ'd that the Women were the most forward beating some rusty Kettles for want of Drums and by that homely Noise encouraged the weaker Men to do Mischief In short the House was pulled down in a moment and the Scout and his Son did narrowly escape the fury of the Mobb by changing their Clothes with two Soldiers of Baron Fricksem's Regiment that by the order of the States was advanced to appease the Tumult To do the Scout justice he has the Reputation amongst sober Men of being a Person of sound Principles a Zealous Patriot and consequently a cheerful Promoter of his Majesty's Interest and they look upon this Accident as an unhappy Consequence of his too strict adherency in this Point to the Laws of the Land From Rotterdam I went to Delpht and from thence to the Hague where I arrived February the 7th at Night The King had made his publick Entrance here February the 5th that 's to say two days before our arrival I shall not trouble my self to copy out of the Gazette a relation of that Ceremony that had nothing very extraordinary in it but the joyful acclamations of the People All the World knows how natural an aversion his Majesty has for that vain Ostentation that is so much affected elsewhere how much he has declined it upon all occasions and that with Cato that noble Stoick he had rather future Ages should ask Why he had none than Why others had some Statues erected them In doing great Actions and exposing his Royal Person again and again for the Safety of his Subjects He calmly follows the genuine Dictates of that generous Mind that desires no other Reward but what is stampt upon each glorious Enterprize nor any other Monuments than those are daily rais'd Him in the hearts of His People too sincere and too natural to be imitated by an Italian Architect And it was to satisfie those that flock'd to the Hague from all the Provinces to see Him that His Majesty after a sudden arrival at the Hague the same day he was come ashore was at last prevailed with to go to dine at a House call'd Sorgflie a Mile from the Hague belonging to My Lord Portland and at his return to his Palace to pass through the Triumphal Arches the States had erected Him in several places The Structure of them is indeed noble and magnificent and several of the Inscriptions answerable to the Dignity of the Subject but whereas they are very numerous I had neither leisure nor humour enough to copy them I shall only give you a short description of one of the Arches that stands nearest to the Court by which you may guess at the rest This Arch is builded according to the Italian Architecture in a Dorick Order It has three Portals the middle of which is higher than the Body of the Structure it self It is adorned on both sides with sixteen Columns standing upon large Basements that are separated from the main Building each Basement supporting two of the said Columns The middle Portal has a very large Cupulo and upon it stands a Pedestal upon which the King is represented on Horseback to the life Man and Horse very richly gilded At each side of the Pedestal there are couching two Slaves in a Brass Collar turning their Backs towards it and the main Body is so artificially painted that it appears to be made out of Stone In each Field between the Columns there are in Black and White represented most of His Majesty's Glorious Actions Over the Cornish is raised a Balluster of the same Order with sixteen Pedestals directly above the Columns supporting Statues that represent to the life promiscuously Men and Women and round the Cupulo are writ these following Words PIO FELICI INCLYTO GVILIELMO TERTIO TRIVMP HANTI PATRIAE PATRI GVBERNATORI P. C. J. P. RESTAVRATORI BELGII FOEDERATI LIBERATORI ANGLIAE SERVATORI SCOTIAE PACIFICATORI BERNIAE REDVCI His Majesty had before and did after his publick Entrance constantly assist the respective Assemblies of the States-General the States of Holland and the Councel of the State employing all his Minutes to the dispatch of such Affairs as were most conducing to the Safety and Prosperity of the Common-wealth in particular and in general to the advancement of the Common Cause In a Speech the King made at his first appearance at the Assembly of the States-General he told them That when he saw them last he had inform'd them that he was resolv'd to cross the Seas to rescue three Kingdoms from Popery and Slavery That God Almighty had blest his righteous Undertakings in so signal a manner that his Success had been beyond his Expectations nay and beyond his Wishes too That England and Scotland had offered Him their Imperial Crowns which he had accepted not as he call'd God to witness to satisfie his Ambition but to be in a better capacity to maintain the Protestant Religion and a lasting Peace and Tranquility in these Kingdoms and to assist his Confederates and especially this State against the powerful incroachments of France That he was now come accordingly into these Provinces not only to Concert with his Allies the Measures that were to be taken the next Campaign but to exercise also with all imaginable application the Charge of Captain-General of the United Provinces That he was in hopes God Almighty would make use of him as an Instrument to confound the malicious and dangerous Designs of
the Enemy to turn off the Danger from their Heads and to reestablish an Universal and lasting Peace in Europe That He should die with the greatest satisfaction in the World if he could compass these Designs He concluded his Speech with some tender Assurances of his unalterable Love to the State and it was answered accordingly The first thing the King did was the regulating the Dutch-Fleet declaring that his Intention was it should be commanded by Admiral Tromp It is not easily exprest how much his Royal Pleasure was applauded by the States and what universal Rejoicings it caused amongst all sorts of people Lieutenant Admiral-General Tromp Son to that famous Hero that from a simple Mariner rais'd himself to the next to the chiefest Command in the State is a Man of a full Stature an ordinary look and that wearing an old fashion'd Black Coat an ill ty'd Cravat and his own weather-beaten Hair makes at the best no better Figure than that of an ordinary Burgher of Amsterdam but by his great and numerous Exploits he has discovered that which is hidden in his Phisiognomy that 's to say a greatness of Soul a boldness of Spirit and so wise a Conduct in his most perillous Enterprises that considering his long Experience he is now look'd upon as one of the greatest Sea-men in the World To restore a brave but unfortunate Prince to his lost Kingdom or to save it when he stands upon the fatal Brink of loosing it are Blessings few of the greatest Generals of all Ages can boast of and if Heaven ever before imploy'd the hand of a particular Man about so great a Work it was after it had anxiously instructed his Valour variously expos'd his Life and narrowly inquired into his Success in a thousand lesser Actions and then it was the immortal Reward of an equally Great Successful and Aged General but bold Tromp reapt that Glorious Title of a Royal Restorer from one of his first Warlike Essays and in the Flower of his Age. Frederick the Third King of Denmark had in spight of his Virtue and Valour lost all the strong Places of his Kingdom Coppenhaguen the Capital City and sole Remainder of that unfortunate Countrey was besieged by Sea and Land by the Swedes and though the Citizens behav'd themselves to a Miracle animated by the presence of their Royal Sire and the whole Royal Family yet they must have given way at last to a valorous and successful Enemy 'T is said That the Swedes sure of the prize had already divided amongst them the Quarters of that City and that some ungenerous Counsellors of the Enemy did design the Royal Progeny for a Victim to secure the Conquest when upon a sudden a numerous Fleet of the States Commanded by Tromp appeared in the Sound It was not known upon what Design he came for the States were then in Alliance with neither of the Parties and both equally fear'd and hop'd for his Assistance but Tromp quickly decided the matter for since it is the Interest of all Europe and in particular of the States-General to Ballance an equal Power between the two Northern Crowns he fell upon the Superior Party destroy'd their Fleet reliev'd the City and by that Strenuous Action caused that sudden and wonderful Revolution that did not only render the King once again Master of his Kingdom but Absolute Master too The King to show his Royal Gratitude made him a Count of his Kingdom and besides honoured him with the Noble Order of the Elephant King Charles the Second made him Knight and Baronet of the Kingdom of England but these are Titles that signifie but little with the Dutch Seamen they know him to be Just and Brave they Love him as their Father and cannot forget nor abide to call him by any other Name than by that plain familiar and Dutch one of Cornelis van Tromp He has since that time signalized himself in several Sea-fights with the English They are too well known and their Consequences have been too fatal to both Parties to need to be mentioned here The English have experienced his Valour and he has theirs and this mutual consciousness of each others Bravery how different soever their manners are together with the urgent necessity of their Affairs as it cannot but by joining their Fleets make a Glorious Confederacy of their Hearts so we have all reason to expect such Effects from it as will be answerable to the greatness of the Design Some few days after His Majesty had nominated Admiral Tromp to Command the Dutch Fleet it was confidently reported at the Hague that Tromp was poyson'd I think it was the effect of Fear of some that did not love to see certain Persons there He fell suddenly Sick indeed but whatever the cause of it was he did as soon recover and at a time the Report did still continue accompanied as 't is usual by some particular Circumstances I saw the Admiral in good Health in the King's Anti-Chamber where he staid above an hour he is not much above Two and fifty years old and is said to be very Vigorous principally when he is in his own Element yet he looks very decrepit It seems great and constant Fatigues at Sea as they take away that brisk and jolly Appearance of Youth in the Face so they strengthen the Body and inure it to a long Life And I am told That the Famous French Protestant Admiral Du Quesne look'd as old Thirty years before as he did when he died Whilst His Majesty with an unsatigable Care advanced the Interest of the States and their Confederates there past scarce one day but some Prince or other came to the Higue Many of them keep Great and Splendid Courts in Germany and the Two Electors of Bavaria and Brandenbourg make a Figure in the Empire not inferior to that of Great Monarchs They all stand very much upon their Prerogatives and to speak the truth there is in no Country more time spent in observing the superfluous Nicety of Ceremonies than in Germany but it seems William the Third had set them a Pattern They came to Consult to Act and not to show their Grandeur No publick Entrances were made they all arrived incognito and to prevent that ceremonious Respect that must needs have been paid to their Illustrious Characters the Elector of Bavaria as it was said did assume the Name of Count of Thungen the Elector of Brandenbourg that of Count of Ravensberg and they were imitated by the rest of the Princes And since very few that were at the Hague had either that Leisure or Advantage that I had of being well inform'd of the exact Number and Name of the Princes I have thought fit to communicate to you this following List Maximiliam Elector of Bavaria Frederick Elector of Brandenbourg George William Duke of Lunembourg-Zel Anthony Vlric Duke of Brunswig-Wolfembuttel Charles Landgrave of Hessen-Cassel Philip Prince-Palatine of Sultzbach John George Prince of Saxe-Eysenach Christian