for their own security but that the King of France must take from thence and occasion to declare War against them The Method of this Ambitious Prince is to strike without giving notice and to take and burn Cities and Towns without any Declaration as was apparent by the burning of Genoa and the seizing of Strasburgh and Philipsburgh which he has wrested from the Empire However it behoves us to trust to his Honesty we must neither stir nor make any Levies in the Spanish Netherlands because that at the Court of Madrid he is endeavouring to lull the People asleep with Proposals of Peace and Neutrality It was also a very great Crime in the Governour of the Low-Countries to let in the Dutch and Brandenburgh Forces into the principal Spanish Cities of Flanders Is it not a wonderful thing that we should be so Cautious against a faithless Enemy 'T is true that since there was no War declar'd between France and Spain it behov'd our Governour to live and sleep at his ease upon the Faith and security of the Treaties since there was no necessity for him to put Forein Forces into his fortify'd Cities But who is there that does not know that there is no Faith or Trust in France That Treaties of Truce and Peace Capitulations and Promises are but Ropes of Chaff which she breaks in the first fits of her Fury and Ambition without giving warning to any body France also has found out another great Motive to declare War against Spain for that she has discover'd That the Agent of the Prince of Orange have receiv'd considerable sums at Cas diz and Madrid In good truth we are become very happy-and now the Credit of the Crown of Spain is again restor'd The pretended weakness of the Catholick King the Poverty of is exhausted Treasuries and the slowness of his Returns for the Low-Countries were the subjects of the Scoffs and Raillery of France Now thanks be to Heaven Spain is in a condition to furnish Foreiners with considerable Sums And what is this to the King of France Who ever heard it said that when Men pay their Debts or borrow money of their Friends that they incur the Crime of Infidelity toward those with whom they are otherwise at Peace This very Act of Spain in paying money to the Prince of Orange is a sufficient proof that she never intended to break the Truce first For upon Emergent occasions every body has need of his own In short France has found out that the Catholick King deserv'd the utmost of her Indignation and that he should be proceeded against with Fire and Sword because at least He would not oblige himself to observe and exact Neutrality and not promise to succour-her Enemies either directly or indirectly 'T is a very strange thing that France will take upon her to bind up other States by Treaties upon Treaties and observe none her self What need was there of a Treaty of Neutrality since the Truce of 1684. was still in force in respect of the Catholick King And if France intended to make any satisfaction to the Empire for the dismal Invasion of Germany would not things be in their former condition without any need of a Neutrality But France refusing to give the Emperour and the Pope satisfaction was not this an uncivil dishonest and ridiculous Demand that the King of Spain should look on quietly and without stirring while France push'd forward her furious Attempts against the Emperour and the Pope against whom the most Christian King had declar'd War Can this be any occasion to break a Treaty of Peace because France would not stay to see which way the Catholick King intended For seeing France had Enemies enough to deal with tho the Catholick King had forborn to meddle in the Affair and that he had waited to see the end of the Quarrel and the success of the War without having any hand in it the most Christian King had what he could desire The Truce had been in force and the Neutrality by consequence If his Catholic Majesty had at length declar'd War against France he had had time enough then to think of defending him himself So that this Declaration of VVar against Spain had not engag'd the most Christian King in new Expences seeing that having a War with Holland he was oblig'd to have an Army in the Netherlands But the King of France thought to perform an Act of great courage and boldness by being beforehand with the Male contents and foremost in declaring a War against all the States which he foresaw could give him any trouble as in the gaiety of his Heart he declar'd War at one time both against the Pope and the Emperour fearing they would make a Peace with the Turk to fall upon him Presently after he declar'd War against the Hollanders who were busie about their own affairs because he foresaw that in the conclusion it would not a little perplex him should they engage in the Interests of the Empire And at length he declar'd War against his Catholick Majesty at a time when he observ'd the Truce because he thought he could not prevent his assisting the Emperour his Kinsman and Ally 'T is a wonder that this Magnificent Braggard suffer'd England to get the start of him and that he let King William be the first that declar'd the War. We shall see how this Hectoring and Bouncing will thrive with the most Christian King. He has had the pleasure of declaring VVar against all Europe and to give the first Blows we shall know shortly who will strike hardest and continue longest in breath And thus much for the reasons upon which the King of France grounds his Declaration of VVar. There are others but I omit them because they are so very weak that they are not worth repeating Our Governour in his Counter-Declaration does not bring so many but they are much better and more satisfactory He grounds his Counter-Declaration only upon two Arguments The first That the Arms of France inhumanly and with all manner of cruelties and unheard of Barbarisms lay desolate all the States of the Empire without any regard to the Laws of Religion or War or the sacred Right of Capitulations The Second That the Ministers of France make use of all the tricks and slights of Negotiation and of all other means to disturb the Harmony of Christendom and to bring in the whole Ottoman Power to the Destruction of Hungary and at the same time to ranverse the Peace concluded between his Imperial Majesty his Illustrious Allies and the Ottoman Port. Upon this second Reason we could enlarge very much if all had not been said already that is to be spoken that is to say how justly and how truly we have Reason to complain of the Infamous Alliances between the Court of France and the Turk to the Ruin of Christendom We are convinc'd of it by Letters intercepted and undeniable proofs of the private Correspondence which they have always
during a War of fifty Years from the unfortunate Overthrow of Frederick Elector Palatine who aspir'd to the Crown of Bohemia to the Peace of Munster There is not a City in Germany that was not subjected several times to the change of various Masters If a War were made upon their foundation that nothing is to be left for the Enemy to make a benefit of all the Cities in the World would be reduced to Ashes The Hollanders are happy in this that that same Devil which now possesses France did not enter her sooner For then the great City of Vtrecht the Cities of Arnheim Nimeghen Campen Zwoll Deventer Doesburgh Bommel Thiel and in a word all the Towns of Guelders Overyssel and the Province of Vtrecht which France abandon'd had been utterly destroyed the famous City of Messina had been like the top of Mount Gibello not far distant from it Has not our Governour reason enough to say That the French have no regard to the Laws of Religion or War We know that the Laws of War do authorize many Acts which in Peace are look'd upon to be wicked and villainous when we quit a City that we cannot keep we carry away whatever may render it formidable to those that are forc'd to leave it We demand Ransom and take the chief Inhabitants for Hostages Nor were the French ignorant how to make the best Advantage of these Priviledges during the Dutch War. Thus also when we abandon any strong Garrisons we take care to ruin the principal Fortifications Lastly when we are sorely prest upon by the Enemy Necessity constrains us to destroy whatever may be serviceable in the Country to the Enemies Army VVe burn up the Hay carry away the Corn set on fire what we cannot carry away and destroy all the Mills But to fall without mercy upon Cities and Houses and to burn them and lay them in Ashes is a monstruous and unparallel'd Extravagance contrary to all the Laws of VVar And then consider the time at the beginning of a VVar before any Brush or Defeat received So that it could be no fear of urging Mischief that occasion'd these Madnesses And now to what purposs is all this Would the Germans and their Horses have eaten the Walls of the magnificent Castle of Heydelbergh or the Houses of so many Cities had they been left standing Are these the Provision and Amunition that maintain Armies What tho the French had left the Cities of Heydelbergh Manheim Frankendale Spire Worms and Oppenheim with their Houses entire but empty however without Corn Wine or Cattle would the Enemy have been a whit the better or at least would not they themselves have been though to have some moderation in their Anger But these Stones and these Houses will remain eternal Witnesses that the Spirit of the French Cabal is a thousand times worse than that of the Turks since the Infidels were never guilty of the like 'T is such a reproach to the Christian Name that when the News of it shall reach the Ottaman Port there is no doubt but all the Divan will lift up their hands to Heaven and give God thanks for revenging them upon the Christians by the Christians themselves who commit those heinous Impieties which their Janisaries and Spahi's would be afraid to do And therefore I wish that all Europe would make the following Reflections upon these enormous Irregularities of France The first is That France neither desires nor hopes for Peace as Affairs stand For she leaves no room either to hope for or to ask Can we make a Peace with France without reparation of our Damages What satisfaction can she give us for so many Wrongs The Revenue of France for ten Years together will never come near what we have reason to demand for above forty or fifty Cities burnt and thirty Leagues of a fruitful and populous Country laid waste and desolate Therefore France never desires any Peace 'T is true she complains as if we intended to perpetuate the War by Alliances wherein we engage our selves not to lay down Arms till France be reduced to that condition wherein she was after the Peace of Munster But indeed it is she that would perpetuate the War and render Peace impossible by such dismal Desolations And then since Peace is not the desire of France it behoves us never to give over till we have subdu'd her by War. The second Reflection is That since France is thus dispos'd all the Allies must resolve upon this either to dye or vanquish for there is no Medium Therefore Generous Germans be assured that whatever Cities you suffer her no take will be only a Prey to her devouring Flames and for that reason defend them to the last extremity If you are besieg'd bury your selves under your own Ruins and perish nobly As for you Hollanders whose Cities are the VVonders of the VVorld Consider likewise that if you are too sparing of your selves you will become a Prey to an Enemy that will not be sparing of You but lay your goodly Palaces all in Ashes And thou the conquer'd Part of Flanders and you Cambray Valenciennes S. Omer Lisle Tournay and Douay and the rest that groan under the Bondage of France behold in the Mirror of others Sufferings your own approaching Fate For if the French are constrained to draw out their Garrisons to reinforce their Armies be assured they will set ye all on Fire to the end you may be useless to their Enemies Therefore take your opportunity betimes to shake off so terrible a Yoke and prevent so dreadful a Misfortune And you the Cities of Brabant and Flanders still remaining under the Dominion of your Lawful Sovereign and make up one of the most lovely Ornaments of the Christian VVorld be afraid of the same Fate and be ascertain'd that you will not escape it if you fall into the hands of the French and therefore be not Niggards either of your Money or Lives to answer the Expectations of that illustrious Governour who is your Tutelar Angel. But as for you French. Men accustom'd to Servitude for so many Years in whose Breasts there is nothing remaining of the old Generosity of the Ancient Franks do you believe your selves secure from these Outrages Assure your selves you live under a Monarch who looks upon himself to be All in All and all the VVorld to be nothing At this time he burns and ransacks Germany He tells you 'T is to save the State. But know that he looks upon himself alone to be the State And therefore for his own preservation he will burn you as he now burns his Neighbors When the Germans shall be entered into Lorrain be assur'd he will reduce Champaigne to the same condition with the Countries upon the Rhine if they enter through Picardy he will burn that also to secure himself if we land an Army he will burn Normandy to secure Versailles Neither are these Conjectures for we have good Intelligence and are well assur'd of it Consider therefore how to prevent the Crew of Firebrands set your selves at Liberty and lend your hands to those that are ready to set you free My last Reflection is that as he makes War without giving any Quarter so we ought to use as little Mercy in making War upon him Not that we would counsel the Allies to deal by France as the French have dealt by Germany God forbid We ought not to punish the Innocent for the Crimes of the guilty We ought to spare the People to deliver them from the Thraldom under which they groan and to gain them by all manner of gentle Usage But as for those that shall be found in Arms those Firebrands in pay under the most destructive Burner in the World by no means have any pity upon them but burn all those Incendiaries without compassion Let us not forbear chasing them till we come to the very Gates of that bloody cruel and fiery Cabal that so those detestable Counsellors may be forced to pay the full Penalty for all those Calamities which their accursed Counsels have brought upon all Europe By this means we may be serviceable to the most Christian King himself by delivering him out of the infamous Clutches of those that tarnish his Glory and render him the common Enemy of all the Earth The END Books Printed for ROBERT CLAVEL AN Account of the present State of Ireland giving a full Relation of the new Establishment made by the late K. James as it was presented to the Right Honorable the Earl of Shrewsbury His Majesties principal Secretary of State and others of His Majesties most Honorable Privy-Council With an Account of what Sums of Mony Arms and number of Officers arrived there from France together with the State of Derry and Eniskilling and several other Affairs relating to that Kingdom particularly of the Proceedings of the Parliament there The Journal of the Proceedings of the Parliament in Ireland with the Establishment of their Forces there The Charge of subduing the Irish Rebellion in 1641.
THE Detestable Designs of FRANCE EXPOS'D Or the True SENTIMENTS OF THE Spanish Netherlanders The Injustice of the King of FRANCE BY HIS DECLARATION Of War against His Catholick MAJESTY And the Justice of the COUNTER-DECLARATION of the Marquess of Gastannaga his Governour General of the Low-Countries London Printed for Robert Clavel at the Peacock at the West end of St. Pauls Church-yard 1689. THE TRUE SENTIMENTS OF THE SPANISH NETHERLANDERS c. FRANCE sets her self against all the World and therefore it is but just that all the World should declare against Her. She it is that makes the first Onset and we can do no less than defend our selves Since the Germans in a little Treatise entitled the French Herald have so successfully refell'd the Declarations of War made by he most Christian King against the Emperour and the Pope the Flemings are no less oblig'd to their Sovereign and the Marquess of Gastannaga their Governour Nor are they in a worse condition powerfully to refute all the weak and pitiful Arguments with which the most Christian King endeavour'd to support his Pretensions After he had declar'd War against the Emperour and at the same time against the Empire for he seeks the utter extirpation of the House of Austria he has also declar'd War against the Catholick King by an Act of the fifteenth of this present year 1689. and at the same instant has exercis'd all manner of Hostility upon his Dominions as well in Flanders and the Low-Countreys as in Catalonia 'T is very true that before he fell to work there was no Stone which the Court of France left unturn'd to corrupt the Spanish Council on purpose to draw them from their own Interests and divide them from the Emperour For She well knows that while the House of Austria continues firmly united in the two Branches of Spain and Germany she need not be afraid of any other Power and therefore it is that she has attempted to divide them So that after she had declar'd War against Spain by the Exercise of most dismal Hostilities she has labour'd to the utmost of her Power to prevent the King of Spain from sending succour to his own Bloud and his own Family This is absolutely to tie one Arm to hinder the relief of the other which they are maiming at the same time But be sure that after Spain has sat quietly to see the Empire devour'd France them will turn her Arms upon him and perfect his destruction 'T is true that Lewis XIV finding himself burthen'd with King James of England who has thrown himself into his Arms and drawn upon him a terrible War through the Union of the Forces of England and Holland would fain lull Spain asleep and cajole the Emperor with vain hopes of peace and by motives of Religion His Ministers have spared no Flatteries at the Court of Spain He has offer'd the King of Spain to make him Arbitrator and Mediator of the Peace between him and the Empire He has caus'd his Ministers to lay before the King of Spain that it is the Interest of the Catholick Religion before all things to see the King of England re-establish'd in his Dominions besides that it would be a work of infinite Charity That the differences between the Emperour and him might be easily determin'd by way of Negotiation upon which Heaven would never fail to shed down a Blessing so soon as their Interests were link'd together by so pious a work as would be that of restoring a Catholick King dispossess'd for the sake of his Religion The Ministers of France at the cost of Spain made use of all their Engins which were employ'd in Germany to disunite the Princes of the Empire They laid before them That it was a real War for the sake of Religion That there was a League between the Lutheran Princes of Germany the Hollanders and the English revolted from their lawful Sovereign and that they menac'd no less the ruin of all the Catholick States than of the Catholick Religion it self And besides all this they made use of all those persons who had the nearest Access to his Catholick Majesty to insinuate into him the great Advantages that would accrew to Both if he and the Emperour should join their Forces to those of France against the Common Enemy They farther whisper'd him in the Ear That the Hollanders were not alter'd in their Inclinations by the Treaties of the Truce and Peace that had been brought to pass since their Rebellion That after all they were but Rebellious Subjects and that it always became him to make it his business to reduce them under their former Yoke that their Master offer'd his Majesty the Assistance of his Forces to tame and bring them under subjection and their old Obedience That England and Holland made a Union formidable to all such Princes who had any Territories bordering upon the Sea That the King of Spain had great reason to fear the loss of the Netherlands That the English who had been in possession of Dunkirk not long since would not be wanting to make themselves Masters of Newport and Ostend which when it should come to pass they should soon be Lords of Brussels and Antwerp that there would be no security for Spain it self That her Coasts lay naked and open as well upon the Ocean as the Mediterranean Sea and that she would be always expos'd to the Invasions of the fierce and haughty English and the Attempts of Holland always covetous and seeking after nothing but Gain That the two faithless Nations being Mistresses of the Sea would make an Eternal separation between the Dominions of the King of Spain in the new discover'd VVorld and those which he has in Europe That his Gallions would import no more Bullion into his Territories but be snap'd by the way to gratifie the Luxury of the English who never think they have enough to supply their Debaucheries and Effeminacy or else to asswage the Avarice of the Hollanders who never believe they have Gold and Silver sufficient in their Coffers That they would never content themselves with putting a stop to the flowing Rivolets but would suddenly go to the Fountain it self and that the two Insatiable and faithless Nations would wrest even Peru it self from the King of Spain But luckily for us all these great Engins were broken to pieces by the constancy of the Spanish Council Thereupon the Court of France being incensed by the ill success of their Intrigues has declar'd War against the King of Spain and grounded their Declaration upon ridiculous Reasons not much more solid than those contain'd in their Manifesto against the Emperour to justifie their taking Arms a second time Let us a little examin this Declaration and the better to discover the vanity of it let us compare it with the Counter-Declaration of Monsieur the Marquess of Gastannaga our Governour The sincere desire says the Declaration which the King has had to observe the Truce concluded
can France say to This But to say no more of the pretended Usurpation of England who has told France that the Catholick King has join'd with a Usurper He has united with the Emperor his Kinsman and Ally He has join'd with the Pope the Head of the Church Against whom Against the common Enemy of the Empire against the general Enemy of Europe against the declar'd Enemy of the Holy Empire Where is the Scandal The Prince of Orange lawful Elected King of England by the Three Estates of the Kingdom is upon his March the same way What sort of Morals has the Court of France found out to prove that it is not lawful for the Catholick King to make an Alliance with him in defence of the Common Liberty of Europe Is it for us to dispute the Rights of the People and Kings of England We should take it very ill that the English should intermeddle with the Government of Castile or Arragon If there be any wrong done 't is done by all the Nation Now I cannot find that the whole Body of a Nation is answerable for its Conduct to any other than God himself If King James have any right on his side we will not take it ill that he defend his Title But this is a Quarrel to be disputed between the People and Him wherein no body has to do to concern himself much less the Catholick King who never receiv'd any Kindness but all the dammage that might be from the late Kings of England as being always in League with France to the ruine of the House of Austria This is the first time for these two hundred years past that the House of Austria has found England in a condition to be advantageous to their Interests and France is mighty unwilling that they should lay hold of the Lucky Conjuncture 'T is very unjust and the Accusation which the most Christian King raises thereupon is a Pretence without any ground After all what would be the benefit of that plausible Alliance into which his most Christian Majesty tells us that he has labour'd so much to persuade the Catholick King for the restoring King James It would produce a bloudy War. England environ'd with the Sea united to Holland and in Alliance with other Protestant Princes is able to maintain a War against all the other Princes of Europe And in this War Spain would be a loser the Empire would get nothing and France would win all For when the Allies were weaken'd by extravagant Expences and a tedious War with England then would France fall upon them and level all before him This is a true Prospect of the Designs of France so Religious so Catholick so Zealous for the Rights of lawful Sovereigns And now has not the Marquess of Gastannaga just reason to publish That the most Christian King's Declaration is injurious to his Catholick Majesty while it labours to render all his Alliances with the Princes and States his Neighbours scandalous to all the World whose glorious Aim is onely the repose of Christendom and the reciprocal Grandeur of each others Dominions The Scandal then being wip'd away as it is clear there is none in this case it is as apparent that his Catholick Majesty cannot dispence with his entring into an Alliance with all the Enemies of France let them be of what Religion they will. For this Union tends to the glorious End which is the safety and repose of Europe of which the most Christian King has been the Disturber for several years His Ambition is boundless nor will it admit of any Limits and therefore it is requisite that Bounds should be set him in spite of his teeth it being necessary as the Marquess of Gastannaga says for the reciprocal Grandeur of each others Dominions Not that the Emperour or the King of Spain or their Allies have any design of Conquest upon those Princes that acknowledge and worship Jesus Christ That Honour is left for the most Christian King to pillage and devour the Children of the Church The Emperour is contented with conquering the Countries of the Christians out of the hands of Infidels And as for his Catholick Majesty all that he desires is but to regain what has been so unjustly ravish'd from him Nor does it appear that the Protestant States the English and Hollanders either have or can have any prospect of Conquest nor any other Interest than that of the publick safety and the preservation of the Liberty of Europe But to be an Enemy of France to go about to stop the Career of her Fury is to declare War against Heaven if you will believe the Ministers and Council of Versailles His Majesty was inform'd at the same time that the Spanish Embassadonr in England was continually with the Prince of Orange And thus for the future the Court of France it seems will take upon her to regulate the Visits and motions of Forreign Embassadours in Foreign Courts so that they shall not dare to pay common Civilities without her permission Wherefore should the Catholick King forbear holding that good Correspondence with the Prince of Orange which he had always observ'd while he was at the Hague Had the Prince of Orange given the King any occasion to order his Ministers not to see him any more 'T is very true the behaviour of the Prince was quite different toward Monsieur Barillon the most Christian King's Embassadour for he sent him away packing with ignominy and he had good reason so to do For that Embassadour was sent into England for nothing else but to engage King James in a Conduct entirely opposite to the Interests of Europe and the publick peace 'T was his business to cheat England and to tie he Hands that she might not oppose the Ambitious designs of the most Christian King and aster the flight of King James he staid behind for nothing else but to be a Spy and a Firebrand of Sedition But the Spanish Embassadour was there to engage England to do her duty by suppressing the Attempts of France The Prince of Orange comes into England and by the flight of King James becomes Master of Affairs and turns the Tide so that the Revolution proves altogether favourable to the Interests of his Catholick Majesty and of all Europe What reason has the most Christian King to take it ill that we should lay hold of such a lucky Circumstance for the restoring Christendom to peace and that flourishing Condition which it formerly enjoy'd One of the King of France's Reasons for declaring War against the Catholick King is That the Governour of the Spanish Netherlands we very busie in raising new Forces Is not this very fine that the King of France shall cover Land and Sea with Armies and Fleets shall declare War against the Pope and the Emperor threaten the Universe make preparations as if he were to conquer all the East and that he Princes of Christendom and their Governours must not dare to make moderate Levies