has been preferr'd to the Equivalent and the French who to be sure expected that it would be so and therefore were aware of it resolv'd to retain Saar-Louis and Longwy to have still a Bridle upon the Empire and Luxembourg and also for a Defence to France it self in case of such another Alliance against it as the last Immediately after the Signing of the Peace at Ryswick the 10th or rather 11th of September Expresses were dispatch'd to all the Courts in Christendom to give notice of it and our Plenipotentiaries at the Hague thought it convenient to send one to Prince Vaudemont at Brussels who commanded all His Majesty's Forces and Armies in Chief in the Low Countries the Express pass'd by Antwerp at Nine of the Clock at Night and Mr. Hill His Majesty's Envoy at the Court of Brussels who was then at his Pay-Office at Antwerp had the first News of it before the Elector about Twelve the Express came to the Prince at the Camp and the good News were all over the Army next Morning our Express was follow'd by two Spanish Couriers going to Madrid the first with the News of the Signing and the second with the Treaty in due Form to be Ratified who both receiv'd the Elector's Orders at Antwerp in their way And as if Providence had design'd this to be mark'd for a Happy day in the Calender the Elector receiv'd soon after the passing of the first Spanish Courier an Express from the Emperour with the News of the Great and Glorious Defeat which Prince Eugene of Savoy had given the Turks at Zanta near the Theysse in Hungary on the First of September which as it appears by the Accounts of it was as compleat and entire a Victory as has been gain'd for many Ages and so much the more Welcome that it was gain'd in a time when Men were very apprehensive for the Emperour's Affairs in Hungary the Grand Seignior having a much more powerful Army with which he had already driven the Imperialists from Titul and was now passing the Theysse to march towards Peter-Waradin when his Army being imprudently divided by the River either for want of Boats to make several Bridges or Conduct Prince Eugene attack'd that part which had pass'd under the Command of the Grand Visier and gave it an entire Rout and in the Pursuit over the Bridge which occasion'd the loss of most of the Infidels put that part which was commanded by the Grand Seignior on the other side into no less Confusion and Disorder The Elector having receiv'd this joyful News by the Express dispatch'd immediately the Count de Milan to the Electrice and Prince Vaudemont at Brussels with the Letter he had receiv'd from the Emperour upon this occasion Several People wish'd that this Victory had happen'd a little sooner for the sake of the Allies who if the Turks had been brought to make a Peace which would have been much more Honourable than what they at present can expect could then have given the Law in the Congress of Ryswick and oblig'd the French to much greater Restitutions or else have carried on a War that must have been Fatal to them but the French Court has known so well how to manage the Turks upon this Point in all the Misfortunes they have had for these seven or eight Years last past that there was no more reason to expect the Turks would seek for a Peace after this Defeat than after that of Salankement or the Losses of Guyla and Great-Waradin The 12th in the Evening the Elector follow'd the good News and came to Brussels and the next day he sent the Marquis d'Vsiés a Serjeant General de Battaille in the Spanish Troops to the Marechal of Villeroy and Baron Simeoni to the Marechal of Bouflers to give them an account of the Signing of the Peace on the Tenth at Night and to know what Orders they had from the French Court about their Armies between this and the Ratification which was to be made within three Weeks after Count Monasterol was sent at the same time by Count d'Arco from the Army near Bruges to the Marechal of Catinat upon the same account they were receiv'd with great Civilities in the French Camps and nobly entertain'd but return'd with this Answer That no Orders were yet come from Court to them upon the Signing of the Peace but that as soon as they did receive any they would give an account of it to His Electoral Highness thereby to regulate Affairs on both sides accordingly The 14th all the Artillery was drawn out before the Camp upon the Height uear the Wind mill of Ganshoren and all the Army drew out in the Evening to fire three Volleys for the great Victory obtain'd over the Turks by Prince Eugene of Savoy but it fell a Raining very hard and all the Troops were dismiss'd to their Tents and the Artillery commanded back to its former Post which may be was not the true Reason but rather it was not thought convenient to have any publick Rejoycing about it the Peace being Sign'd between England and France which made England to have no Interest in the Emperour's Affairs that way For I do not remember that there were any publick Rejoycings in England for the raising the Siege of Vienna in King Charles the Second's Reign or even for the taking of Buda in King James's though a Popish Prince But Te Deum was Sung this Evening in the Elector's Chappel and all the Cannon fir'd thrice round the Ramparts of Brussels with abundance of Illuminations and Fire-works and Count d'Arco the Bavarian General who commanded at present the Army of Flanders in Chief had Te Deum Sung in his Quarter by the Chaplains of the Spanish and Bavarian Troops and the Army and Artillery being drawn out fir'd three rounds for this Victory The 17th Prince Vaudemont left the Camp to go and wait upon His Majesty at Loo not only to regulate the Marching of the English Troops out of the Country but chiefly to Thank His Majesty for the great Honours he had receiv'd in commanding of his Armies in Flanders the three last Campagnes and to pass as much time as he could with the King before His Majesty went for England now that the parting would be for some time the Prince being appointed by the King of Spain for Governour of Milan in the Room of the Marquis de Leganés where we may expect from so Brave and Wise a Prince that he will manage Affairs so as to conserve the Peace and Repose of Italy and contribate thereby to maintain that of Christendom in General The Prince being now gone to Loo the Duke of Wirtemberg became in course General in Chief of the Army near Brussels The 19th the Marechal of Bouflers sent Monsieur de Pracontal a Merechal de Camp or Major General of his Army to the Elector of Bavaria at Brussels to give His Highness an account that the French King had sent Orders for his Armies
Harsolt Dona and La Mothe All these Regiments were soon after dispers'd to Cantoon up and down in the Neighbourhood of the Towns that were to be restor'd by the French in order to Garrison there except those two or three Regiments which were to Quarter in the Holland Flanders My Lord of Athlone's Camp at Judoigne was the last to break up either to subsist the Dutch Cavalry upon the Countrey hereabouts as long as was possible or else to provide for the security of the Meuse whilst Harcourt was on the other side with a considerable Army to Forrage the Pays de Liege and did not go into Quarters but between the middle and latter end of October when Tiffin's and Belcastel's Brigades were order'd to march into Flanders to quarter in Ghendt and Bruges with the rest of our English Forces The Elector continued all this while with His Majesty at Loo and Dieren sometimes at the one and sometimes at the other where among their Divertisements they settled the Routes and Marches of the Allies out of the Spanish Netherlands and his Highness did not come back to Brussells till the 13th of October by which time all the Confederate Forces had clear'd the Countrey except His Majesties National Troops which were to pass over into England Scotland or Ireland with as much expedition as the Season would permit and the Danes which did not begin their March homewards till the November following But the King still remain'd sometimes at Loo and sometimes at Dieren where His Majesty had pass'd the time in Hunting and such other Countrey Divertisements from his first leaving of the Army to this time except two or three dayes that His Majesty went to Soestdyke to have an Interview with the Czar of Muscovy at Vtrecht which was on the first of September His Majesty coming to the Czars Lodgings was first Harangu'd by the Muscovite Embassy to express the great Esteem and Value their Master had for his Person and how much he admir d the great reputation of his Government the fame whereof had fill'd all Russia and Muscovy and had brought the powerful Monarch of those vast Countreys to visit a Prince so renown'd for his undaunted Valour and Courage joyn'd with a most profound and consummated Prudence and who has gone through so many Dangers and expos'd himself to the greatest hazards for the Defence and Liberties of all Europe which none but himself could keep and secure from becoming a Prey to an overgrown formidable Power And to convince the King that all these Protestations of the Czars Esteem and Admiration of so great a Monarch were no formal Complements they acquainted His Majesty that the Czar their Master was in the next Room himself having come so far out of his Dominions to assure His Majesty of it in Person After which they introduc'd the King into the Czar's Chamber where they were together above an Hour His Majesty being attended by the Earls of Albemarle and Jersey and Three or Four more Persons of Quality but the Czar who Travell'd Incognito in the Retinue of his own Embassy could not accept of the Invitation to dine with the King but went back after the Interview to Amsterdam The Czar had contriv'd this way of Travelling in the Train of his own Embassy as a private Person on purpose to see England and Holland the most flourishing and wealthy Countreys in the World and the most famous for Trade and Navigation being very desirous to improve his own Subjects that way especially now that being Master of Afoff upon the Mouth of the Tanais he had a very good Harbour open to the Black Sea by which if he could gain any Strength on those Seas he may not onely increase very much the Trade and Wealth of Muscovy but cut himself a way at the same time to the Greek Empire and become Master of Constantinople These are thoughts worthy of so great a Prince and to put himself thereupon in the best way of compassing such great ends he came with his Embassy to the Baltick Shore about the beginning of the last Summer where he imbark'd to come to Coningsberg the Capital City of the Ducal Prussia belonging to the Elector of Brandenbourg where his Electoral Highness was then with all his Court to be near Warsaw during the time of the Election for the Crown of Poland The Czar and his Embassy were nobly entertain'd here and pursued their Travels over-land afterwards through Prussia Pomerania Brandenbourg Westphalia c. to come to the Rhine and Embark there for Holland and after a considerable stay in Amsterdam the greatest Town for Trade and Navigation in the World unless this mighty Character be most deservedly due to London his Czarish Majesty is at length come himself privately to England to see our Shipping and Docks where the most stately curious and perfect Models for Building of Ships in the World are to be seen and to instruct himself in Navigation and Maritime Affairs now that he has the Sea open to him in a milder Climate than Archangel whereby he may at once make his Subjects considerable for their Trade and become a Terrour to the Turkish Empire which may one day be subdued by his power on the Black Seas and Visit the greatest and the most wealthy City in Christendom and Imperial Seat of a Great Monarch who has all the Power which the Purses of the wealthiest Nations of the World can afford without any Arts of Tyranny Oppression or Arbitrariness to have them who has had Vast Fleets at Sea and Numerous Armies in the Field and the People not oppress'd by those heavy Burdens which always attend an Absolute Power and without which even Arbitrary Power it self can never be great and who Rules the most Flourishing States in the Universe so happily and with such Justice Equity Gentleness and Wisdom that notwithstanding the vast difference of Governments one may find in the Commonwealth all the duty and respect of Subjects without any derogation to its Liberties and in the Monarchy all the Liberty of a Free People consistent with the Fealty and Allegiance due to a Sovereign These are Master peices of Government altogether peculiar to our great Monarch and which were there no other reason must raise his Name above all Princes that have Reign'd before him This Voyage of the Czar's to Holland England will make so considerable a Figure in History hereafter that I could not well pass it over without omitting one of the Chiesest Ornaments of this Account After this Interview the King went back to Loo where the D of Holstein Gottorp came to wait upon His Majesty and the Prince Vaudemont from Brussells being follow'd about a Week after by the Elector of Bavaria But notwithstanding that the Three Treaties Sign'd on the 10th of September were Ratified and Exchang'd and that the Peace had been proclaim'd upon it first at the Hague then at Paris the 13th of October and at London the 19th
along the Demer about Hasselt had Orders to come to Louvain the 26th and incamp between this place and Corbeck upon the Dyle and being joyn'd the 27th by the Regiments of Horse of Tilly Erbach Prince Philip Nassau-Friezland Flodorf Huybert Saxen-Heylbourg Saxon-Gotha and Arco from the neighbouring Quarters they came to Tombeck and Rassiere the Brook of Lahn before them being all under the Command of Count Tilly The Dutch Infantry cantoon'd hereabouts incamp'd at Eygenhoven and the Brandenbourg Troops Quarter'd about Diest and Arfcht and Villages along the Rupelle came to incamp the 27th between Terhulpen and Gerival near the Bois de Sogne towards Wavre commanded by General Heyden consisting then of 18 Battallions of Foot and 17 Squadrons of Horse where they were joyn'd by the Garrison of Louvain commanded by Major General Churchill and the Dutch Foot incamp'd at Eygenhoven The Dutch Guards from Liere and the Garrison of Malines commanded by Brigadier Tiffin came the same day to the Camp at Ixelles and at the Orders the Quarter-Masters were commanded to be this Evening at the Retrenchment of Waterlo The Dutch Cavalry in Quarters at Brussels march'd the 28th by two in the Morning by the Grande Chaussee through the Bois de Sogne towards Braine la Leu the Infantry incamp'd near the Fauxbourg of Ivelles follow'd and then our Artillery which had been brought from Ghendt to Brussels by Water for this purpose as that of Holland had been sent from Malines to Ghendt and all was clos'd up by the Dutch Horse Canton'd about Brussels and Malines but the heavy Baggage was to be left behind till the next day The Vanguard of Horse as soon as it came into the Plain beyond the Bois de Sogne sent detachments to Genap Wavre and Nivelle to cover the March of the Army at the same time Count de Noyelles sent detachments of Foot from Waterlo to the Church of Ophain the Abbey of Bois-Seigneur-Isaac and the Village of Bas Istre towards Braine le Chasteau to cover the March for this Camp on all sides If Bouflers had been pass'd the Sambre instead of these detachments a great Body of Horse was to have been order'd towards Genap and Nivelle commanded by a General Officer but Bouflers was still on the other side and sav'd us this Care At the same time that the Prince's Troops incamp'd at Ixelles were marching through the Bois de Sogne for Braine le Leu the Troops incamp'd at Terhulpen and Gerival under General Heyden and the Dutch Horse under Count Tilly from Tombeeck march'd about between the Dyle and the Wood to this Camp and thus joyn'd altogether the 28th being incamp'd with an Elbow upon the right between the Abbey of Bois Seigneur-Isaac and the Village of Bas Istre towards Brain le Chasteau this was the Poste of the right Wing of Horse and Right of the Body of Foot the rest of the Camp went in a strait Line from the Abbey of Bois-Seigneur-Isaac upon the Right as far as the Brook of Leu upon the Left towards the Wood of Sogne and Waterlo having the Village or rather small Town of Braine la Leu before it as the Village of Ophain was before the Center and the foremention'd Abbey upon the Right all three in a Line The Abbey of Bois-Seigneur-Isaac was mark'd for the King's Quarter which consequently gave the Name to the Camp and the Prince and most of the Generals Quarter'd at Brain la Leu the Prince in his own Castle which he has here and where he was born of the Princess of Cantecroix Count de Noyelles continued in the Retrenchments of Waterlo till the 29th to see all the Baggage come up safe through the Wood which was order'd to follow the Army and then march'd from thence with the Body under his Command and took his Post in the Line as it had been assign'd to the several Regiments where all the Battallions incamp'd double as the Elector's Army did at Deinse because the distance was too great for the Foot to fill if the Company 's had incamp'd in their full depth and therefore 't was thought convenient to incamp so as that every Battallion might be divided into two and take up the ground between the Right and Left This Army at the first joyning consisted of 75 Squadrons of Horse 26 of Dragoons and 64 Battallions making in all 46490 Men. A detachment of 400 Men was sent to Nivelle under the Command of a Field Officer to keep Garrison there and secure a Post that was very necessary for the cover of our Army or from whence the Enemies could very much annoy us if they got once to be Masters of it and therefore this could not be construed an infraction of the agreement made on both sides with the Lady Abbess of Nivelle because 't was onely for the present security of the Army which would have been done by the French themselves upon such an occasion or if they gain'd an opportunity by it of attaquing our Army with more advantage As for the English Horse and Dragoons which had march'd out of Ghendt towards Alost under the command of General Auerquerque in order to come to this Camp they were order'd to march back again for their quarters to be at hand near the Electors Army whilst he had two of the Armies of France which were now about Tournay and Courtray for dangerous Neighbours for all the Brandenbourg Cavalry design'd to serve in Flanders was not yet come to Brabant But the Dutch Horse upon English pay Lloyds Dragoons and the Dutch Regiments of Montigny Turck Zuylen now Schulembourg and Noyelles march'd on towards the General Rendezvous at Bois-Seigneur-Isaac to make room for the same number being 18 Squadrons of Dutch Horse and four of Dragoons design'd to serve in Flanders under Lieutenant General Opdam which being now come into this Countrey cantoon'd on both sides of the Canal in the Quarters left by chose that had march'd into Brabant The Spanish and Bavarian Horse came up about the same time and quarter'd along the Scheld between Ghendt and Dendermond so that the Elector had all the Horse of his Army now ready to joyn him As for the Horse belonging to the Princes Army at Bois-Seigneur-Isaac it was actually incamp'd in the Line and the Magazines of Hay and Oats that were at Brussels were transported in Waggons to Waterlo where we had them at hand to subsist the Army with dry Forrage Whilst our Forces in Brabant were marching up to joyn together at this Camp His Majesty who could not let his Armies be in the Field without him arriv'd at Oranje-Polder in the Maes from England the 27th and came the same Evening to the Hague where he was Complimented by the Deputies of the States and Forreign Ministers My Lord of Pembrook His Majesty's first Ambassadour Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for the Treaty of Peace came over at the same time but an indisposition hinder'd Sir Joseph Williamson from coming to Holland till the next
follow'd last Year by the Prince of Vaudemont three Battallions were commanded from Major General Fagel's Body at Newport to come and poste themselves about Bruges to be in a readiness to reinforce the Elector that of Lorne upon the Canal of Ostend near Schipstal Buchan at Steinbrugghe upon the Canal of Bruges and St. Amand at Moorbrugghe Colonel Reinard's Regiment of the Elector's Army had been upon the Canal ever since the coming back of the Elector to this Camp of Nevel and a Regiment of the Brandenbourg Troops which upon this Disposition were order'd to post themselves the first at Rostein and the second at St. George upon the same Canal something nearer to Bruges thus to give or receive Reinforcements to and from Major General Fagel according to the Motions of the French These were the Precautions taken by our Army in Flanders during the Uncertainty of the Enemies Designs after their taking of At h for then either Villeroy and Catinat could have march'd into Flanders and endeavour to attack Newport or pass the Canals or oblige the Elector by their coming to Thilt or Rousselar to get behind them himself and subsist his Army with dry Forrage at the Expence of the Country or else the Marechals of Villeroy and Bouflers could joyn together and subsist their Armies in the Country about Alost and between Brussels and the Scheld which since they were Masters of At h was now at their Devotion or else the Marechal of Villeroy could have march'd himself about Alost and the Marechal of Bouflers towards the Camp of Pieton which would have oblig'd His Majesty equally to provide for the Defence of Brussels and Namur or lastly the Marechal of Villeroy could have besieg'd Audenarde whilst Bouflers should observe our Brabant Army and Catinat that of Flanders In the first of these cases we were too watchful for Newport and the letting out of the Waters could hinder the French from coming near it and this Advantage with the Troops we had on this side seem'd sufficient to cover the Country between Bruges and Newport and behind the Canal of Bruges so that it would be too much Hazard to attempt any thing on this side where besides in such an occasion the King could have sent good Reinforcements directly to Ghendt especially now that our German Forces were on their March and Lieutenant General Ohr actually come into Brabant As for the Subsisting of their Armies about Thilt Rousselar and Torhout and the driving of the Elector behind the Canals this Country had been so Harrass'd and Plunder'd in the two preceding Campagnes that no Forrage could be expected here for the Maintenance of such Armies and therefore if both march'd that way one at least would be oblig'd to march back again in a little time The second Proposition of Villeroy's and Boufler's joyning to march into the Pays d'Alost seem'd to be the most advantagious and safe because this Countrey especially the bottom of it between the Rupelle and the Scheld from Willebrook upon the Canal of Brussels to Dendermond had hardly been molested by any Armies all this War and therefore their two Armies could live here a long time very conveniently in the midst of plenty in relation to Forrage of all sorts As for the third the Seige of Namur could be but a Dream now that we were going to have such a reinforcement from England and the Rhine 'T is true that we could not hinder them from besieging of Audenarde but the situation of it is naturally very strong upon the account of the Scheld which with the keeping up of the Sluces in the Town overflows all the Meadows about it leaving no access for Trenches but before the Gate that leads to Courtray and Deinse and there was a very great Garrison in it so that they could not think of having it at so cheap a rate as At h but must expect to loose a great many Men in the taking of it which they did not think convenient to do at a time when the Negotiations of a General Peace seem'd to be in a very hopeful forwardness and besides the Communications upon the River which is very large are very difficult and easily broken upon the lower Scheld by the letting out of the Sluces and therefore it would not be very difficult to raise the Siege by attacking them in one Quarter or other these Considerations made the French prefer to march into the Countrey of Alost with the Armies of Bouflers and Villeroy joyn'd together to any other design they could propose to themselves and the rather because His Majesty's Army had a very long and difficult march and a close defile for near 3 Leagues thro' the Bois de Sogne to come to Brussels and therefore if the Marechal of Bouflers could but gain one march upon the King he might have pretended to the Camp of Anderlecht before our Army in Brabant and then Brussels would have been once more expos'd to the Fury of the French Bombs after all the Charges that had been spent to raise it out of its ruines much more stately and magnificent than it was before and if the French in such a Case would have been inclin'd to accept a Summe of Money to spare the Town either of them would have made a very great noise in the World when done in the presence of such an Army as we had then incamp'd at Promelles and Genap commanded by the King in Person and it would have been as inglorious for the Allies and especially His Majesty as a great and happy undertaking for the French and therefore we find that their first motions seem'd to be levell'd at this place as I am now going to tell it The Marechal of Bouflers Army having taken Bread for six Days march'd on the 12th upon the Left from the Camp of Thieusies towards Halle and came this day to incamp with the Right at Steinkirk and the Left extending it self towards the Village of Marck beyond Enghien The same day the Marechal of Villeroy having been reinforc'd the day before with the Body commanded by the Marquis de Crequi at Celles march'd with the Army under his Command and having pass'd the Wood of Lessines came to incamp with his Right at Castergat towards Haute Croix and Enghien and his Left at Gamerage towards Grammont It was about Twelve of the Clock this day before the King had an account of these motions of the French upon notice of which the Chief Generals were immediately sent for to Court and a Council of War being held it was resolv'd that the Army should march that very Evening for Brussels though it was then very rainy Weather and had been so the day before If the march had been delay'd till the next day the Marechal of Bouflers might have gain'd the Camp of Anderlecht as soon as we and therefore there was a necessity of marching forthwith and accordingly the two Brigades of Foot of Belcastel and Oxenstern were order'd to march
except the Brigades of Dompré and Chauviré under the Command of Major-General Hubert which interlin'd with the Body of Foot upon the Left of Ingoldesby's and Belcastel's Brigades behind the Village of Ganshoren the most open passage to our Camp upon the Right being hereabouts Prince Cerclas of Tilly incamp'd upon the left with the Liege Horse and Dragoons but all the English Cavalry march'd through Brussells by the Scarbeck-porte and incamp'd on the other side of the Canal with the Right at Ever where General Auerquerque was Quarter'd and the Left at Diegom upon the way to Louvain except the Dragoons of Tiviot Rosse and Jedborough which were posted between Vilvorde and the Burnt-bridge upon the Canal of Brussells and those of Eppinger and Lloyd which were mix'd with the Foot at the Camp of Cockelbergh Anhalt's Brigade being compos'd of the three Battallions of Anhalt Scheltinga and Slabendorf lately come to Brussells from the Siege of At h and the two Battallions of Els and Essen detach'd from our Army incamp'd on the other side of Brussells before the Fort of Monterey This was the state of our Army about the Town at our first coming to this Camp where we were very conveniently posted to expect the French if they would have attack'd us and no stronger camp could have been found out to cover the Town and secure our selves at once but because we were likely to have to do with two powerful Armies joyn'd together and that too much care could not be taken for our Safety especially at our first coming that we had not as yet those considerable reinforcements which joyn'd us soon after from England and the Rhine therefore as soon as the Army began to incamp fifty men out of each Battallion were commanded to work that very Night being about 3400 men at a Retrenchment upon the Left of the Village of Berchom where was an open ground about a quarter of an English Mile over that joyn'd to the Height of Dilbeck and commanded this part of our Camp and was the weakest post we had to defend and the most dangerous inlet into our Camp in case of an attack and therefore special care was taken to Fortisie immediately this Avenue My Lord Cutts was then Major of the day and was by the King's order upon the work all Night to forward it by his Care and Presence and by the next Morning it was considerably advanc'd and in a state not to be easily carried by an Enemy This Retrenchment was a Redan or work of Salliant Angles with a large Fossè and cover'd way the Glacis of which was senc'd with an outer Ditch being stuck all over at the bottom with short Palissades or sharp wooden Spikes having their points upwards to hinder the Enemy from getting into it As His Majesty's Army came to this Camp the 13th that of the Marechal of Bouflers was at the same time upon the march from Steinkirk towards Nostredame de Halle where he incamp'd this Evening with his Right at Lembeck upon the Senne and his Left at the Brook of Pepinghen towards St. Quintin-Linneck the Head-quarter being at St. Arnelle in the Rear upon the way that goes from Halle to Enghien as soon as the Mareschal of Bouflers was come up to this Camp he immediately detach'd the Chevalier de Nesle with 150 Horse towards Anderlecht to get intelligence of our motions and whether our Army was yet got to this side of Brussells the Chevalier de Nesle advanc'd with his Party almost as far as Dilbeck this Night and met hereabouts upon the way to Halle with a Party of 30 Liege Horse commanded by a Cornet which Monsieur de Sainfal a reform'd Captain in the French Life Guards attack'd with a Squadron of 50 and defeated him killing four upon the spot and took eleven Prisoners with fifteen Horses 'T was by the meeting and defeat of this Party that the Chevalier de Nesle was inform'd of all our Armies being incamp'd on this side of Brussels between the Flanders-porte and the Canal But the Marechal of Villeroy who had march'd through the Wood of Lessines on the 12th to incamp between Castergat and Gamerage was forc'd to halt the next day the Weather having been so very bad the 11th and 12th and the ways grown so difficult that his Artillery and Wheel Baggage could not come up to march the 13th being to pass through the desiles of the Wood of Lessines but on the 14th this Army march'd and came to incamp with the Right beyond Goick towards St. Quintin-Linneck within three Quarters of a League of Bouflers Left and the Left towards the Dender beyond Strithem the Head-quarter being at this last place And if the French had at first any design upon Brussells and our Army it was this halting of Villeroy's Army that prevented it and gave us time to Fortifie our Camp before the Town and receive considerable reinforcements for the Marechal of Bouflers was not strong enough to pretend to attack us himself and therefore could not march up to us on the 14th before we had sufficiently Fortified our Camp and Villeroy coming but this day to the Neighbourhood of St. Quintin-Linneck the two Marechals could not joyn together till the 15th and consequently could not attack us well till the 16th in the morning when we could not be in a condition to apprehend their coming therefore the French were oblig'd to think of nothing else at present but the subsisting of these two great Armies in the Countrey between the Senne and the Dender where they reach'd almost from the one River to the other being upwards of three Leagues distance and here I shall leave them to return to His Majesties Camp near Brussells The 14th the King and Prince went out very early to see the Retrenchment we had work'd upon in the Night and the avenues to the Height of Dillebeck where having heard of the defeat of our Party of Liege Horse the overnight so near our Camp all the out-posts were thereupon order'd to be reinforc'd in all the Villages before the Camp as in the Villages of Berchom Ganshoren Jette and Laacken and the Abbey of Dilleghem and Castle of Riviere these two last places commanding a pass in the bottom over the Rivulet of Zellich the first on one side towards Wemmel and the last on the other towards Brussells a Field Officer with two or 300 men was posted in the Abbey before our Right and in the Villages of Dilbeck and Anderlecht before our Left and that the Retrenchment we were working upon since the overnight to stop up the passage into our Camp from the Height of Dillebeck might be finish'd with all Expedition 30 Men more were commanded out of every Battallion being now between five and 6000 persons to work upon it and His Majesty in his Riding out this morning saw the Marechal of Boufler's Army incamp'd at Halle In the Evening Lieutenant General Ohr having receiv'd an Express from His Majesty at Tirlemont
have a great deal of Honour allow'd them upon this account 'T is true that they ransack'd all the Forts and Garrisons in Languedor and Provence whereby they got a Reinforcement of six or seven thousand Men to repair their Losses and were by this means almost as strong at the end of the Siege as at the beginning of it but if the number of Burghers that were in Barcelona who no doubt had a hand in the Defence of it be consider'd this will not very much lessen the Glory of taking of it I do not know the Situation of Barcelona yet it can hardly be imagin'd but if the Spaniards having no other place to defend to put a stop to the Progress of the French Conquests in a Country where they could not subsist with great Armies had made by times a good and strong Retrenchment on one side of Barcelona for to cover their Army and at the same time good Fortifications and Out-works on the other that if the French had besieg'd it in such a Posture of Defence Barcelona could have taken by them and even as Barcelona was if Spain had transported the Troops they had to spare in Italy since the Peace on that side it would have been an Attempt above their Power As to this last the Spaniards say that the Duke of Savoy kept still the Forces on foot he had during the War and therefore that they could not leave the Milane's open and expos'd to an arm'd Neighbour if it was so the Duke of Savoy has done in that a signal piece of Service to the French King as to the first the Spaniards pretend that the English and Dutch were to send a good Squadron to their Assistance and then that Barcelona would have been in no Danger for the French Army before this place could not subsist but by the Communication it had by Sea with Provence and Languedoc and the Sea-ports they were Masters of in Catalonia and if we had sent a Fleet in the Mediterranean at that time the French must not only have rais'd the Siege but the Army could not have got off but with very great difficulty Whatever reason the Spaniards might have to expect a Fleet from England and the States yet no Man can say that this does excuse them from acting their part in providing for the Safety of the Place and putting of it in a good Posture of Defence chiefly considering that we had already a Squadron of about twenty Men of War in the West-Indies to watch Pointy's Motions and protect the Galleons which must otherwise have fallen into the hands of the French and may be this was as much as England could do at that time considering our late Money Difficulties Notwithstanding the great Advantages which the French had over the Allies by this great Conquest and that the French Plenipotentiaries had given in their Project the Tenth of the foregoing Month in the very middle of this Siege and that no Relief could be expected for the Place but purely from the vigorous Defence of the Besieged yet this did not seem to hasten the Negociations amongst them at Ryswick Copies of this Project had been given to the Plenipotentiaries of the Empire Spain and Holland according to the Tenour of it and the Project as well as full Powers of the French being directed to treat with the Emperor and Empire the Empire had therefore in the Dyet at Ratisbonne made a Solemn Deputation to treat on the behalf of all the States and Princes of Germany with the French King in which among the Ecclesiastical Electors that of Mentz the Secular those of Bavaria Saxony and Brandenbourg and out of the College of Princes for the Catholicks the Arch bishop of Saltsburg the Great Master of the Teutonick Order the Bishops of Wortzburg Spire Constance Hildersheim Liege and Munster the Princes of the House of Austria Palatine and Newbourg c. and for the Protestants Brandenbourg for the Dutchy of Magdebourg Sweden for the Dutchies of Bremen and Deuxponts Saxen-Cobourg Saxen-Gotha Brandenbourg-Cullenbach Brunswick-Zell Brunswick-Wolfembuttle Hesse-Cassel Wirtemberg Holstein Anhalt and the Counts of Wetteravia out of the Imperial Towns for the Catholicks Cologne and Augsburg and for the Protestants Francfort and Nuremberg were appointed by their Plenipotentiaries at Ryswick to represent the whole Body of the German Empire and to treat in its Name with the French King's Ambassadors These having a Copy of the Project laid before them gave in their Answer to it wherein they insisted upon the full and entire Restitution of every thing as it had been establish'd in the Treaty of Westphalia reserving a Power to the Emperour and Empire of keeping a Garrison in the Town of Straisbourg for which they could not accept of an Equivalent neither could they allow the French King to keep Saar-Louis with the pretended District about it in the Dutchy or Lorrain but that the whole must be restor'd to that Duke This was the chief Substance of their Answer when at this time the French were pressing the Siege of Barcelona very hard that they had taken At h in Flanders and that Prince Lewis of Baden was still on the other side of the Rhine notwithstanding the Weakness of the French that way This Answer seem'd to raise great Obstacles to the forwarding of the Treaty if the Empire would insist upon it to the last and yet notwithstanding these Difficulties 't was about this time * The first Conference August the Sixth that they began to treat personally at Ryswick in the Mediatour's Chamber whereas hitherto the Conferences had been carried on in Writing by the Mediatour the Allies and the French keeping to their respective Apartments The Term given by the French in their Project was now drawing near but in the mean while 't is fit to see what the Armies were doing in the Field The two French Armies commanded by the Marechals of Villeroy and Bouflers were now advanc'd a great way from any of their Frontier Towns which made Convoys tedious and every thing but Forrage very scarce in their Camps and had it not been for the Conveniency of Water carriage from Tournay to Renay upon the Scheld and from Grammont to Alost by the Dender no Land carriage remaining but from the Scheld to Grammont and from Alost to the Armies which were just by it had been impossible for them to have subsisted where they were and the great Rains that fell about this time so broke the ways that the little Land-carriage they had became extreamly difficult and the Boats could hardly for the same reason be drawn by Horses If this made Provisions scarce and dear in the French Armies it created no less an Inconveniency for the bringing in of Forrage and they were forc'd at this time to cut down vast Quantities of Fascines for the repairing of the Ways and the making of Bridges over the Ditches being all fill'd with Water by the excessive Rains The 12th the two Brigades of Foot
Nassau-Saarbruck left the Camp to go to the Baths of Aix la Chappelle for his Health and Count d'Arco General of the Bavarians was left Commander in Chief of the Army Upon this going of the Prince of Nassau's to Aix la Chappelle My Lord of Athlone had once Orders to go and Command the Army in Flanders and was preparing to leave the Prince's Army for that purpose but how this came to be alter'd is what brings me to speak of the Affairs of our Army in Brabant The Marechals of Bouflers and Villeroy being now separated and march'd from the Neighbourhood of the Canal of Brussels a great deal of our Cavalry could be spar'd out of our Camp where there was hardly any Forrage to be had at present to go and subsist more conveniently some where else and therefore all the Cavalry upon English Pay being first joyn'd with the Dragoons that had been posted behind the Canal march'd on the 18th from Diegom to Wavre upon the Dyle for the Conveniency of Forrage but the Dutch Horse being left in this Camp were furnish'd with dry Forrage from the States Magazines in the Town Upon this March of our English Cavalry to Wavre the Prince of Tilly left Masy and pass'd the Meuse at Namur to incamp within the Retrenchment upon the Height of Ste Barbe there to subsist in the Condros and spare the Forrage on this side for our Cavalry The both the Duke of Ormond and the Prince of Hesse left the Army the first to go for England and thence to Ireland for his Domestick Affairs and the last into Germany and this day being the Term given in the French Project there was no other Discourse in the Camp but of Peace but how this came to fail is what I have given an account of just now The 24th the Prince gave Orders for all the Artillery and Baggage-Horses to be sent for from Grazing and for the Army to be ready to march upon Information that Bouflérs Army was upon the March towards the Plain of Fleury the said Marechal having left the Camp of Stanberg and the Neighbourhood of Grammont on the 22th to come to Enghien whereupon Count Tillard was left at Grammont with 18 Battallions and as many Squadrons for the Guard of the Convoys between the Scheld and Villeroy's Camp and of the Bread which was Bak'd in this Town for the use of the Armies The 23d the Marechal of Bouflers continu'd to march upon the Right and came to incamp at Soignies where he was joyn'd by the Marquis de Courtebonne and the ten Battallions under his Command which had been posted about Mons since Bouflers March towards Dendermond The French being got so far towards the Sambre alarm'd the Prince who as we have now said order'd all the Horses to be sent for from Grazing but did not get into the Camp till the 25th and the Artillery and heavy Baggage could not march till the next day towards Louvain Major General Stewart with Tiffin's Brigade was now upon his March from the Pays de Waes back to the Canal of Brussels who with the Body commanded by the Count de Noyelles upon this Canal was to joyn the Prince's Army at Louvain Our English Cavalry and Dragoons at Wavre were to march towards Namur who with the Prince of Tilly and the Garrison we had in the place might have cover'd it till the coming up of the Prince's Army The 26th the Artillery and heavy Baggage began to File off towards Louvain under the Escorte of a Colonel with 1000 Foot and the Army had Orders to follow the same way the next day to march thence towards the Mchaigne But Count Nassau Lieutenant General and Major General Erle were to be left at Brussels with 15 Battallions English and Dutch to incamp within the new Line which was now almost finish'd there to cover the Town The Prince had sent an Express to Loo to give His Majesty an account of the Marechal de Boufler's Motions and of his Resolutions thereupon but Namur being at present an Attempt not to be made by the French considering the Strength of the place with that of its Garrison and the Forces we had about it and the Backwardness of the Season and that besides it would put the Army to great Difficulties to march that way without any pressing Occasion and Boufler's Army being halted at Soignies where it was now Hutted and in no likelihood to stir from thence it was therefore thought convenient to countermand this March and it was accordingly countermanded the 27th for the English Infantry could not stir but with great Difficulty because they wanted Horses to carry their Baggage two Waggons had been allow'd each Battallion till the coming up to this Camp which had been hir'd by the King the beginning of the Campagne to supply the present Necessity but having been dismiss'd at the coming to this Ground only one could be had at present and if the Army had been oblig'd to march most of the Officers must have left all their Baggage behind them for very few had Horses to carry it and therefore not to put them to such a Hardship it was thought more Expedient to let the Foot remain where it was and that it would be sufficient to send the Dutch Cavalry and Dragoons being still in this Camp under the Command of the Earl of Athlone towards the Mehaigne These Agitations had stopt his Design to go and command the Army in Flanders in the absence of the Prince of Nassau Saarbruck and that thought was now quite laid aside to go and command the Army we were going to form towards the Mehaigne where besides all the Dutch Horse and Dragoons My Lord was to have Tiffin's Brigade from the Pays de Waes and the two Brigades of Belcastel and Oxensterne from the Canal making together sixteen Battallions which now could be spar'd from thence upon the Marching off of Villeroy towards Audenarde and Bouflers to Soignies and only one Battallion was left thereupon for the Guard of the Canal The 28th all these Regiments joyn'd together near Louvain under the Command of the Count de Noyelles Lieutenant General and Major General Stewart and incamp'd behind the Dyle about a League above the Town with the Left at Corbeck and the Right extending it self towards Neer-Ische but that of Colonel Saunderson was commanded to incamp with the Artillery at Louvain without Brussels-porte and the Detachment of the Prince's Army that cover'd it was order'd back to the Camp The 30th all the Horses belonging to the Infautry incamp'd at Cockelberg were remanded to Graze as before along the Dyle between Louvain and Malines and a Colonel with a Detachment of 1000 Foot was sent to Louvain to bring the Artillery back again to our Camp The same day My Lord Portland came from the Hague to Brussels in order to have another Conference with the Marechal of Bouflers as 't was suppos'd upon what had happen'd at Ryswick the 20th Instant and
Campagnes and Voyages Battles and Sieges with the Olive-branch of a Happy and Honourable Peace in his Hand and the Lord-Mayor and Citizens of London had made it their particular Request to receive His Majesty publickly to express thereby their Affection Duty and Gratitude upon such an Occasion in a manner suitable to the Wealth and Grandeur of that Famous and Renowned City in the Particulars of which Magnificent Reception 't is not my Business to enter at present as belonging properly to the History of England I shall only add that His Majesty receiv'd afterwards Congratulatory Addresses from all Parts of his Dominions for his safe Return after having Happily terminated a most Obstinate and Expensive War carried on for so many Years by our late Enemies chiefly and on purpose to bereave him of a Throne he fills with so much Fame and Renown and to deprive us of his most Just and Equitable Government and of what has a necessary Dependence upon it all that can be Dear and Precious to a People our Religion Laws Priviledges and Liberties These are Exploits which require the utmost Gratitude of all True Patriots and Lovers of their Religion and Country which can do no less than express it self in hearty Prayers to the King of Kings that he would Bless His Majesty with a Long Happy and Prosperous Reign over us as a Just Reward of so many Glorious Atchievements for our Safety and Preservation All this while the French were not yet ready to Evacuate any of the Places they were oblig'd to restore to the King of Spain by the late Treaty of Ryswick being first by vertue of it to carry away all their own Artillery Ammunitions Provisions and Stores and leave behind them the Artillery and quantity of Stores they found in these places at the taking of them 'T is true the Evacuating of these Towns requir'd some time upon this account but 't is very probable that the French delay'd the fulfilling of this Article purposely till they saw what Success the Treaty they had Sign'd on the 22th of October with the Empire should have at Ratisbone where 't was likely to meet with a considerable Opposition from the Protestant Princes in the Ratification for if the Treaty instead of being Ratified there had been declar'd Illegal and Derogatory to the Treaty of Westphalia and to the Articles provided therein in behalf of the Protestant Religion it would not have been very convenient for the French King's Affairs that Luxembourg and other places to be restor'd by the Treaty of the Tenth of September should be in the King of Spain's hands The Plenipotentiaries of the Protestant Princes having refus'd to Sign the Treaty between the Empire and France on the 22th of October had still some Conferences with those of France to find a temper for the fourth Article so as they might Sign joyntly with the rest of the Empire but they were all to no purpose England and Holland had bor'n the Burden of a long and very Expensive War and their Trade and Commerce the very Springs of all their Wealth had been considerably impaird and therefore were not able to meddle at present in that Affair and vindicate the Interest of the Protestant Religion in Germany against these Incroachments upon it so contrary to the Westphalian Treaty so that the Protestant Princes wanting Power for this Reason to maintain and carry on their Opposition against the Treaty lately concluded between the Empire and France the Ratification was Sign'd in the Imperial Dyet at Ratisbone without any Alteration to the Fourth Article by which the Popish Religion is to continue in several Towns and Places of the Palatinate according as it was Establish'd by the French King whilst in his Possession where before the War were none but Protestant Churches to the great Oppression of the Protestants and the Violation of the Treaty of Munster in their behalf and France has gain'd this Advantage over the Empire as to Sow the Seeds of such Divisions in this Treaty between the Protestant and Popish States as may in time be very Fatal to Germany and increase very much the Greatness and Power of the Most-Christian Kings which for several Years last past has been found so Prejudicial to the Peace and Quiet of Europe The Treaty between France and the Empire being Ratified within the Term prefix'd in the Articles it was thereupon exchang'd at Ryswick the beginning of December and the French having secur'd this Point restor'd immediately after the Towns of Mons At h Charleroy and Courtray in the Low-Countries and Barcelona Gironne Roses and Belver in Catalonia to the Spaniards but they did not quit the Dutchy of Luxembourg till the Month of January following when la Roche and Arlon little Fortresses upon the Frontier towards the Pays de Liege were deliver'd up to Spanish Garrisons on the 17th and the 19th they took Possession of the Town of Luxembourg whereof the Count d'Autel General of the Palatine Troops had been appointed Governour by the King of Spain through the Queen's Interest being the Elector Palatine's Sister By this time all or most of His Majesty's National Forces Horse and Foot had left Flanders and were pass'd the Seas and got over into England Scotland or Ireland except six Scots Regiments of Foot which the States have taken into their Pay and Service being those of Lauder Murray Walter Collier Ferguson Strathnaver and George Hamilton and the three French Battallions of Refugies of la Meloniere Belcastel and Marton My Lord Gallway's Horse and the Marquis de Mirmont's Dragoons which are still kept in His Majesty's Service in Flanders And the French were then working to demolish the Works on the Rhine and elsewhere which are to be Raz'd by the Treaty and to evacuate those which they are to restore to the Empire but as yet have not perform'd it however we need not doubt but they will and News are daily expected of their having begun with Philipsbourg and deliver'd it up to an Imperial Garrison but these Affairs do not come directly within the compass of this History and therefore I need not speak any more about them lest that should swell this Account to too great a Bulk which is long enough already and longer than I would have made it if it could have been done conveniently without omitting some Material Passages I have no more to add but some few short Reflexions upon the Peace lately agreed upon at Ryswick which brings this History to a most happy Period and to it s wish'd for Conclusion the Negociations whereof have been carried on with more Calmness Tranquility and Expedition than any General Treaty we can read of before notwithstanding several Occasions which have offer'd themselves seasonably enough to take hold of them thereby to disturb or prolong this great Work We have seen the King of Sweden Charles the Eleventh who by his Mediation had so wisely manag'd Affairs as to bring the Plenipotentiaries of the