have dismist those Envoys from their Courts which had they done it would at least have taken away from the Emperours corrupt Council all pretence of rendring them suspitious to his Imperial Majesty and hastening him in pursuance of that suspition to sign the peace under Consideration To sum up all we may from what hath been said reasonably infer these three particulars First That his Imperial Majesty hath been basely betrayed by the greater part of his Council for I am not so malicious and unjust to confound the innocent with the guilty and not to make an exception out of the general clause in favour of those of his Council who are men of Integrity and Honour who in truth I think are very few and not much in Credit Secondly That his Imperial Majesty being so villanously betray'd by his Council the Empire in general and particular through the indissoluble union of the head and Members cannot but miserably participate the misfortune and sufferings of its Soveraign as is very well known by a fatal and too long experience Thirdly that 't is easie for his Imperial Majesty and the Empire to know whom they have equallly cause to complain of and from what Principle not only this Treason is derived but all the mischiefs that have afflicted Christendom for above an Age but especially the Empire since the beginning of the late War I say for above an Age as to the General because that which his most Christian Majesty instigated by the Jesuits undertakes in our days is but the same which by instigation of their predecessors Charles the first the Emperour Fardinand the Second and Philip the Second of Spain did in their days As to the Empire in particular I say since the beginning of the last War because 't is certain his Imperial Majesty hath been since that time by the means I have mentioned so closely beset and so strictly observed that 't is not in his power to speak to advise to wish or do any thing but the Society knows and absolutely destroys it if not suitable to their particular Interests and Designs There is not a person in the Emperor's Court but knows that no man without certain ruin dare oppose in that Court that Cabal in any matter though never so little To conclude this Point His Imperial Majesty as a Slave to the Society as things stand at present serves only to Authorize his own Ruin the Ruin of his August Family and of the Empire in general and particular For the very Moment I write France publickly solicits in the Empire as I said before the Nomination of a King of the Romans in favour of the Dauphin which in all probability will be managed with so much dexterity and subtilty that his Imperial Majesty if he follow the advice of his Council Spiritual or Temporal will think himself obliged in Conscience voluntarily to give way to it This my Lord is the true state of his Imperial Majesty and his Council since the last Peace Three things remain to be considered First The particular Advantages the Court of Rome and the Jesuits procured themselves by the late War Secondly What Advantages they design'd themselves by the late Peace and its consequences Thirdly What the Empire in general and particular may expect from the present state of Affairs The Advantages the Court of Rome and the Jesuits procured themselves by the late War have not been so great as they promised themselves for God having preserved the United Provinces whose utter Destruction they had projected 't is certain most of their Projects in England and elsewhere were defeated Yet the Advantages of the Papacy over the Protestant Party in the late War are very considerable and consist in five Particulars 1. That by the fire of War kindled by the Artifices of Rome and the Jesuits between England and the United Provinces those two Protestant Powers have unhappily consumed very considerable Forces in Men Money Ships Ammunition and loss of Trade the Soul and Substance of the Riches of both Countries 2. That the United Provinces have in defence of themselves against France and its Allies in Germany been forced to spend their Men and their Money besides loss of Trade during the War 3. That Swede Denmark Brandenbourgh and Zell have consumed their Forces during all this War kindled by the Artifices of the same Party between Swede and the three Princes of Denmark Brandenbourgh and Lunenbourgh both by Sea and Land 4. That under pretence of this War the Protestant States of the Empire as well during the Campaignes as by Winter-Quarters have been miserably harrassed and exhausted with Exactions Burnings Contributions to that degree that most of the Protestant Imperial Towns are almost ruined and several of them as well as the Palatinate and other Countries out of hopes of recovery in an Age while the Hereditary Countries and Bavaria and many other places of the Roman Communion in the Empire have been preserved as the Apple of an Eye or so little opprest they scarce feel it 5. That France by this War having conquered the County of Burgundy and kept it by the Peace free from Condition of Exchange it is to be observ'd that whereas this Province belonging heretofore to Spain was by reason of its distance from the heart of that Kingdom not in a condition to hurt the Protestant Cantons of the Swisses now that it belongs to France we art not to flatter our selves but it belongs to a Power which may every hour make a sudden irruption into the Canton of Bern and under the specious pretence of Religion put the Protestant and Roman Cantons in disorder and by degrees work their inevitable ruine unless that Republick have the Courage and Judgment to enter into confederacy with those that ought to preserve it from destruction which the building the Fortress of Hunningen may sufficiently instruct them is certainly intended them I reckon all these to be real advantages the Court of Rome and the Jesuits have by the last War procur'd themselves against the Protestant Party For where resolution is taken to ruine an Enemy under several heads the best way to effect it is to divide the Powers and engage them as much as may be in War one against another to the Consumption of their Forces and to fortifie your self on their Frontiers that you may make sudden Inroads into their Countries when you please The Court of Rome and the Jesuits by the Access they have had to the Council of France and the House of Austria and by the help of the Counsellors there and in the Protestant Courts have with great dexterity put these Maxims in practice during the late War For His Majesty of Swedland managed by France His Majesty of Denmark His Electoral Highness of Brandenbourgh and His Highness of Zell managed by the Imperial Court will take the pains to search to the bottom by what Motives and Artifices they have been all four engaged in a War which hath
the Duke of Newburgh at least for having not wherewith to bear the Charge of the Marriage of his Son with the Emperor's Sister without being restored to the Dutchies of Juliers and Berg which could not at least so speedily be effected without a Peace what wonder is it that this Prince hath for the time past being forced by his Necessities joyned with that part of the Emperor's Council that was for Peace and assisted them in perswading His Imperial Majesty to sign it on any Condition Nor can it appear strange if this Prince for the suture joyn with the same Council and use all his Credit and Interest with His Imperial Majesty never to enter into a War with France though he have never so great Reason for it For when wants and Necessities enter in at the Door Honour and Friendship flyeth out at the windows His Highness of Lorrain to give him his due hath done bravely on his occasion having generously chosen to run the Risque of losing all rather than sign so shameful and unjust a Peace as that proposed to him by France And I shall be very much deceived if he or his recover not their Estates rather by this than any other Conduct For Revolutions are Common to all and I have particular Reasons to believe it may one day happen so in the Affairs of his Highness This I think is more than sufficient to Evince that His Imperial Majesty hath been basely betrayed by his Council My next business is to shew by what sort of People he hath been chiefly betrayed and with what Covers they have guilded those Pills which they have made this Good and August Prince swallow from time to time To find the bottom of this business we must look a great way back as far as the beginning of the War which France by Concert with England the Elector of Cologne the Duke of Newburgh and the Bishop of Munster made against the United Provinces in 1672. After several Alliances with the Deceased Elector of Bavaria and Duke of Hanover and others which were but too visible during that War Several pretences have been made use of to colour that Rupture but the truth is it was fomented only by the Court of Rome and the Jesuits To give your Highness full and clear satisfaction in this particular be pleased to permit me to put you in mind that a little before the breaking out of that War his Royal Highness of Savoy Deceased having taken his Measures with the Court and Council of France made open War against the Republick of Genoa The Court of Rome wisely judging the Duke of Savoy would not have engaged in that Enterprize without assurance before hand of Succour and Protection from France if needful and that those petty Sparks might raise a General Conflagration in Italy which in time might draw over thither all the French Forces and consequently expose that Country to inevitable Ruin that subtil and cunning Court to save themselves from the storm applied themselves seriously In the First place to put an end upon any terms to the War between the Duke and the Republick which Monsieur Gaumont soon after effected In the next place being sensible what formidable Forces His Most Christian Majesty had then on foot and that that Monarch could not forbear breaking out into a new War the Court of Rome resolved to use all their endeavours to divert from themselves and their Neighbours the Effects of the French Arms and cause them to fall on some other Country of Europe the most remote that might be from Italy and where it might be most Convenient for the Interest of the Pope The Jesuits having given directions to this purpose the affair was manag'd with that subtilty the Storm fell altogether on the United Provinces the Court of Rome assuring it self that if that Republique were once destroy'd the whole Protestant Party would naturally come to ruin and the Papal Authority in a short time recover it's primitive Grandeur and Glory Great Obstacles were quickly discovered against the carrying on this mighty Project The most Christian King who clearly saw what the Court of Rome aim'd at was or pretended to be unwilling to engage in Open War against the United Provinces but on two Conditions First That the Court of Rome should secretly consent and give way that he might if he could joyn the Provinces of the Spanish Netherlands and Lorrain with what he could Conquer from the States of the United Provinces to form or restore the Ancient Kingdom of Austrasia Secondly that the Court of Rome should assure him to their Power to procure his Majesty and the Dauphin who was designed the New King of Austrasia the Imperial Crown As to the point of the Spanish Netherlands it must be observ'd that to bring about the Design it was absolutely necessary to manage his Majesty of Great Brittain whose interests there were very considerable and there could be no hopes to give him satisfaction without Sacrificing to him something very considerable of what belong'd to the Spaniard It would have been almost impossible for any but the Jesuits Interests so different to reconcile and overcome so great and Numerous Difficulties The two Branches of the most August House of Austria had heap'd most considerable Favours and showed their Bounties on the Society of Jesuits But when they are concerned for the Grandeur of the Pope and the Interests of the Miter which by the way the Society looks on with the same Ardour a young Prince in Love would eye the advantages the Glory and Interests of a Beautiful and rich Queen whom he made no doubt but he should one day enjoy all Thoughts and memory of the favours received from the August Family are wholly laid aside on that occasion the Jesuits fell immdiately to find out Expedients for two Reasons full of Justice and Equity according to the Politick Maxims of that Blessed Society The first was that whereas the House of Austria in the present Conjuncture was notoriously unable to raise the Roman Bishops to their former Estate of Grandeur and Glory and that there was not any but His most Christian Majesty who by his Forces and Interests could work this kind of Miracle it was absolutely necessary to remove all Difficulties and Obstacles that might hinder the effecting an enterprise so Profitable and Glorious The Second That in case the Design should take effect the Society was assured of having in recompence of their pains two great Abbies Heads of their Orders the one in the Ancient Kingdom of France the other in the New Conquests Which Abbys were to be added to the vast Patrimony of this Society besides the assurances they had by the protection of France to obtain a Settlement in Amsterdam and elsewhere Upon these Grounds they procur'd the Treaties to be privately sign'd between France and Rome and between France and England by vertue whereof the War was quickly begun against the United Provinces I pass over in
silence the satisfaction his Majesty of Great Brittain was to have as impertinent to my present business It may be observed that as under the Reign of Philip the second France was to have been made as far as it lay in the Power of Rome a Sacrifice to the Interests of the Papal Miter and the Monarch of Spain 't is now become the turn of the most August House of Austria according to this Project to be Sacrificed to the interests of the Papacy the Jesuits and his most Christian Majesty And that as the principal design of the Jesuits and of France was the absolute destruction of the Protestant Party it was from hence it proceeded that a League was form'd and sign'd by most of the Catholick Princes of Germany and incorporated into the Treaties above mention'd wherein every of the Confederates had or at least thought to have had his design and compass'd his ends as afterwards appear'd Hence also it proceeded that France having anciently had very strict alliances with the Protestant Princes of Germany conceal'd very carefully the present design from all its ancient Allyes of that Communion The Court of Rome and the Society as carefully conceal'd it from both branches of the House of Austria and all this for reasons than which nothing is more easily apprehended For the same reason it was that in the beginning of this War nothing was omitted by the Popes Nuncio the Jesuits and their Emissaries to lull asleep the Councils of Vienna and Madrid and that afterwards they did with all possible diligence reveal to the Ministers of France all they could discover of the deliberations of the Imperial Council or the Spanish For the same reason it was that his Imperial Majesty by the clear Remonstrances of the Elector of Brandenbourgh being made sensible of the Trap cunningly laid for him by the French and having commanded an Army to joyn with that Elector on the Rhine those Emissaries of Rome laid all their heads together and for their Master-piece to carry on the Design effected two things The first was the Rebellion of the Male Contents in Hungary not yet Suppressed whereby they endeavour'd if possible to give the Emperour so strong a diversion that it might not be in his Power to assist his Allies The second I have from an Anonimous Author of an Essay of the Interest of the Protestant Princes and States Printed in the year 1676. and treating of several things in this respect very considerable The Author in my Opinion deserves the more Credit in that he hath lash'd the Society to some purpose in his Discourse yet not one of it's Patrons or Partisans hath undertook to refute him The account he gives of the first Campaign I will repeat Word for Word from the Original as very sutable to my purpose In the Year 1672. when the Arms of France were so prosperous that all Europe looked on the States of the United Provinces as very near Destruction His Electoral Highness of Brandenbourgh wisely foreseeing the Consequences to be expected from the Ambitious Enterprizes of France if not stopped in time gained himself the Reputation not only of having been the first Prince of Christendom who drew his Sword in Protection of that broken State but by vigorous Remonstrances to the Court of Vienna was the cause that His Imperial Majesty awaking out of the Lethargy some corrupt Counsellors had cast him into resolved to Arm vigorously and joyn with his Electoral Highness in Defence of that Republique His Electoral Highness in pursuance of this Resolution being advanc'd towards the Rhine with a considerable Army and Count Montecuculi being on his way thither in the Head of an Imperial Army with design to act jointly and to do something considerable in favour of the Republique France allarm'd by the March of the two German Armies had detach'd Marshal Turenne with a Body of an Army to observe the motions of the other two But by the several Marches and Counter-Marches these two Armies had made especially that of Brandenbourgh sometimes making as if they would pass the Rhine in several places sometimes in being ready to fall upon the Allies of France beyond the Rhine Turennes Army was so tyr'd out and harassed that about the end of the Campaign it was almost quite dissipated and found it self in so miserable a Condition that 't is certain all Turenne was able to do was to be on the defensive against one of those Armies and that if both Armies had join'd Turenne had been inevitably lost as was publickly confest His Electoral Highness of Brandenburgh knowing how easie it was to destroy Turenne and the Consequence of his Defeat caused a vigorous Remonstrance of all to be made to the Council of Vienna it was so effectual that positive Orders were sent Montecuculi to join his Electoral Highness and Fight Turenne without further loss of time which would have broken all the open and hidden Measures of France and by one blow freed the Empire and Holland from Oppression But other matters were in hand for the Interest of Rome His Majesty of Great Brittain had permitted himself to be perswaded to publish about that time a Declaration whereof he made Report to his Parliament whereby a Tolleration and Indulgence was granted in favour of the Nonconformists of his Kingdom Though it may be thought it was not so much for favouring the particular Conventicles of the Sectaries of the Protestant Party as under the name of Non-Conformists to introduce Popery again into that Estate though contrary to the Designs and Intentions of His Majesty who granted it only in favour of the tender Consciences of his Protestant Subjects This Step towards Popery being the First Fruits the Court of Rome had promised it self from the Ruin of the States of the United Provinces 't is no wonder that Court set all hands at work to effect that Ruin The then principal Obstacles of the Design was the Resolution of His Electoral Highness against Turenne the Destruction of his Army being capable to Re-establish the States of the United Provinces and that Re-establishment would have destroyed all the Projects of the Jesuits in England Here it was the Jesuits plaid their part to prevent the blow from fallin on Turenne and they acted it too well for the general Good of Europe for Montecuculi instead of receiving Express Order to joyn Brandenbourgh's Army and fight Turenne received Orders quite contrary whereby he was absolutely forbidden to do the one or the other To drive this Nail to the head the venerable Society whose impudence nothing can parallel made it their business several ways to infuse into his Electoral Highness a jealousie of the Emperour as insincere in his intentions this was effected with the greater facility for that his E. H. of Brandenbourgh having received from the Court of Vienna a formal Letter which gave him an exact account of the true order his Imperial Majesty had sent Montecuculi to join him and fight
THE EMPEROUR And the EMPIRE BETRAY'D By Whom and How Written by a Minister of State residing at that Court to one of the Protestant Princes of the Empire Published for the satisfaction of all good Protestants LONDON Printed for B. M. at the Duke of Lorrain's Head in Westminster 1682. TO THE READER THE extraordinary Conduct of the Imperial Court and Council for some years past having rais'd the Curiosity of a great Prince of the Empire to find out at any rate the true Causes and Grounds of Counsels and Actions that had so much surprized him he made choice of a Minister whom he judged best capable to execute this Design and having given him Instructions for the purpose dispatched him privately under other pretences to the Emperours Court at Prague The Minister acquitted himself well and gave his Master an ample account of his Business by Letter of the 13. of February 1680. The Master a right German and truly generous Prince laid his Commands on me to publish those important Secrets the value whereof will soon appear by the reading from which I will no longer detain you Farewell THE EMPEROUR AHD THE EMPIRE Betrayed AND By Whom and How In a LETTER My Lord 'T IS the duty of a Servant not to conceal any thing from his Prince and Master especially when he is pleased to honour him with his Confidence as your Higness hath done in sending me to this Court To clear my self from the Guilt and Reproach of having been wanting to this Duty I take the liberty to give your Highness a faithful and candid account in Writing what I have discovered most pertinent and Essential to the business you were pleased to employ me in I shall do it with the less scruple and reserve having sent this Letter by an Express in whom I have entire Confidence and doubt not but he will according to my order deliver it into your Hands To begin with the best part of what I have to deliver I am to inform your Highness that His Imperial Majesty is in my Opinion a pious Prince good natured and of a sweet and gentle Disposition and not at all inclined to contend with the Princes his Neighbours or make War on his Inferiors That pursuant to this natural Inclination for Repose and for Peace this Prince hath an Antipathy against any thing that disturbs or opposes his quiet Disposition and hath eased himself wholly of the management and direction of his Affairs of State and of War by committing all to the Conduct of his principal Ministers 'T is hard for a Prince to intrust a Minister with Affairs of this mighty Importance without opening to him all his Mind and imparting the greatest and deepest of his Secrets And from hence I believe it hath unhappily followed that this Prince having by degrees accustomed himself to leave the greatest part of his Affairs to the Conduct of his Ministers hath reserved to himself only the Title and Pomp the Splendour and Name of the Dignities and Grandeur proper to his Character In a Word had his Imperial Majesty never so little minded his great Affairs he would never have yielded to sign that shameful and ignominious Peace with France subscribed by the Imperial Embassadours at the Congress ad Nimiguen the unhappy Effects whereof we have seen in seven Particulars of great importance First His Imperial Majesty by those few strokes of his Pen hath in all probability lost for ever the Esteem the Friendship and Confidence of the Princes his Friends and Allyes who would have generously defended and preserved him from ruine by the force of their Arms. Seconldy That his own Troops have been shamefully forced to quit all the Countries of the Empire while those of France have been actually there and continue to this day insulting and Domineering as they please over the Princes the Cities the Countries and Provinces of the Empire Thirdly That by the Execution of this Peace the Estates the Persons and the Courts of the three Ecclesiastical Electors of the Empire and of the Elector Palatine of the Rhine stand in a manner expos'd every hour to the violences and irruptions of the Arms of France and consequently in case of an Election of a King of the Romans we may probably find by their Suffrages what may be expected from Slaves to that proud and ambitious Crown Fourthly That his Imperial Majesty having by that Peace tacitely consented to the late Cession on made by Spain of the County of Burgundy to the Crown of France It follows that if His Imperial Majesty in Case of failure of Issue in the House of Spain should in his own Right or in the Right of the Arch-Dutchess his Daughter the Heir to the Estates of that Monarchy he hath by that Article of the County of Burgundy released his Right to it and deprived his Successors and the Empire of the Convenience that Country might upon a favourable Revolution have afforded them to lead an Army without opposition into the heart of France And should Lorrain be ever restored to the Empire yet this Article will be an infallible means for France to maintain continually an Army on the Frontiers of Germany and invade it as often as it shall appear to be for the Interest and Grandeur of the French to attack the Germans Fifthly That though Swizzerland be throughly convinced by the building the Fortress of Hunninges of the Ambitious designs of France and consequently concerned and inclined to make a League with all or part of the Princes of the Empire in defence of the Common Liberty yet the unfortunate Session of the County of Burgundy hath furnished the Pensioners of France whom no Counsel or Caution of that Republick is free from with a plausible argument to perswade that Republick not to stir in its own defence till it be perhaps too late and out of its power to help it self For say they What shall we do The Cantons of Bern Fribourgh and Sollurre cannot subsist without the Salt of that Province Besides the Forces his most Christian Majesty keeps actually on Foot there may justly alarm us to be cautious to the utmost what measures we take and consider all things before we ingage in any By such discourses as these though groundless if we suppose an Union of the Forces of the Empire with the Swisse which would infallibly draw in many more it may fall out that this Republick if the lowest party prevail not against those Traytors to their Country may to its own mischief and the ruin of others lye still and look on as unconcerned and consequently be a Member wholly useless to the Publick for defence of the Common Liberty which would be in the present Conjuncture of more mischievous Consequence han most are aware of Sixthly That by this peace the Duke of Lorrain who hath had the honour to Marry a great Queen eldest Sister to his Imperial Majesty hath found as little respect in this Peace as if he had married