Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	duke_n	king_n	spain_n	3,771	5	8.1659	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47671	The history of Father La Chaise, Jesuite, and confessor to Lewis XIV, present King of France discovering, the secret intreagues by him carried on, as well in the court of England, as in all the courts of Europe, to advance the great designs of the King his master / made English from the French original.; Histoire du père La Chaize, jésuite et confesseur du roi Louis XIV. English.	Le Noble, Eustache, 1643-1711.; Le Noble, Pierre.; Le Roux, Philibert-Joseph.	1693 (1693)	Wing L1052; ESTC R179438	143,271	350

all likelihood it could not be against France yet could not fully perswade themselves of the truth till they sensibly felt the Blow They always thought that it tended either to get some Money out of 'em or else to the re-establishment of the Prince of Orange a thing which at that time was in Agitation among themselves so that without ever so much as stirring they quietly expected the whole Force of their Enemies which had like to have utterly over-whelm'd ' em They then found it too true That it is not sufficient for a Prince to think himself safe because he has given no just occasion of a War and that he ought never to repose so profoundly upon the Faith of Treaties as not to have Forces always ready to oppose his Enemy upon any sudden breach of Peace or according to the common Proverb Not to relye so much upon a Neighbour as not to keep a vigilant Eye over him But go and preach these Politicks to People that love their Ease better then their Lives and because they have renounc'd enlarging their Territories think all others of their mind and you may aswell preach to so many Statues In short this Confidence cost 'em dear For the King of England had no sooner fallen upon the Smyrna Fleet but the King of France fill'd all Holland with Terror and Dismay He took Maestricht Graves Nimeghen and pierc'd as far as Utretcht from whence he beheld but one little spot more to Subjugate 1672. In that City he exercis'd all the Prerogatives of a Sovereign Conqueror He chang'd the Magistrates coin'd Money and there receiv'd a stately Embassie from England at what time the Duke of Buckingham and the Lords Arlington and Halifax were sent from the King of England These things tickl'd La Chaise even to Triumph and Exultation insomuch that he could not forbear asking the King with an Air of Joy and Content whither he would take his Counsel another time He had also Emissaries in all the Catholick Courts more-especially with the Emperor and the King of Spain into whose Ears they continually peal'd That the King had no other Aim in this War but the Extirpation of Heresie which he was going to Attack and Combat even in the Trenches and in the very Arms of her most formidable Champions the English and Hollanders that by a visible Favour of God there was a Way found to dis-unite 'em and that they would themselves destroy one another and that the Finger of God and that Celestial Frenzy which constrain'd the Enemies of the People of God to fall upon one another was herein to be observ'd The Emperor who is a good Prince and a zealous Catholick seriously believ'd the Tales which the Jesuits told him and making it a Case of Conscience to oppose such Holy Arms remain'd in a Lethargy that surpriz'd all the World and warm'd himself at the Fire which devour'd his Nighbours House never minding the Danger of his own At length the Elector of Brandenburgh a wise and couragious Prince could no longer be a Spectator in a Quarrel that so nearly concern'd him He was the first that drew his Sword to succour poor Holland then at the last Gasp and so lively laid before the Emperor the terrible Consequences of the King's Victories that he oblig'd him to declare open War and to send a good Army to the Rhine under the Conduct of Montecuculi with Orders to join the Elector of Brandenburg and fight Turenne after he had well tyr'd his Army which would have extreamly weak'nd the King's Forces and reduc'd him to a Necessity of quitting his Conquests to defend his own Country This unexpected Resolution of the Emperor extreamly incumber'd him for La Chaise had always promis'd the contrary nor was it a small Vexation and Disappointment to the King But La Chaise bid him be of good Comfort for that he had an infallible Secret to make him break up the Campaign without fighting a stroak as he did by Counterfeiting a private Order from the Emperor to Montecuculi which forbid him positively to join the Elector whatever Commands he had receiv'd to the contrary unless they imported an Express and particular Revocation of the Order he had sent him And thus the Business was carried on During the time that La Chaise resided at Rome he had for his Companion a certain Italian Fryer whose Name was Francisco Pironni a Graver once and an Ingenious Artist in his Trade but withal the greatest Cheat and Rogue that ever the Earth bore La Chaise had made use of this Fellow upon sundry Occasions wherein he shew'd such Proofs of his Ability and Industry that he thought him able to gain him many Creatures among the Jesuits in Germany whether he sent him only upon that Design Pironni discharg'd his Trust so effectually that by means of his Intriegues La Chaise had settl'd his best Correspondencies at Vienna and it was to himself that they had recourse to counterfeit the Order which I have mention'd They had found a way to put into his Hands some old Pattent where was both his Imperial Majesty's Sign Manual and his Seal affix'd and both the one and the other were counterfeited so exactly well that the Emperor himself would have been deceiv'd So that Montecuculi who had incurr'd his Indignation by his repeated Refusals to join the Electoral Army was absolutely justified by shewing his counterfeit Orders This Villain had grav'd the Seal upon a Steel of the same Bigness and cut the Sign Manual upon a Copper-Plate which being apply'd to the Paper made the Impression so exact that it was impossible to discover the Cheat though it had been known before-hand This being done and the Order written above the Sign Manual a Courier's Habit was procur'd for Pironni and he carry'd it himself to the General and then return'd to his Convent where it was not to be thought that any body would look for him And this was the Reason that the Imperial Arms had so little Success that Year And had not the Prince of Orange been so prudent as young as he was instead of ceasing to besiege Twenty Towns one after another to march directly to Bon which he took and open'd the Pass of Flanders to the Germans whom he put into a condition to make a powerful Diversion we had the greatest Reason to expect that all the Remainder of the Seven Provinces would have fallen into the Hands of the French But this Course which the Prince took broke all their Measures in such a manner that they were forc'd to abandon all except Maestricht and Graves And as it seldom happens that one Misfortune comes alone it so fell out that the Parlament of England beholding this turn of Fortune took courage and presented so many several Addresses to the King that he was forc'd to make a Peace with the Dutch whether he would or no. However he wrote first of all to the King of France to let him know that

he could not avoid concluding the Peace by reason of the Importunitie of his Subjects I could produce several Copies of the Letters written upon this occasion but because I would not be Prolix this shall suffice from the Dutchess of Portsmouth to Father La Chaise Reverend Father 'T IS but some few Days agoe That the King of England was constrain'd to Sign a Peace full sore against his Will I cannot tell what his Majesty of France may think of it but I cannot forbear telling you That in truth he has no Reason to take it Ill considering how long it was before he came to a final Resolution He stav'd it off to the very last and without doubt had never consented had he not had certain Intelligence that the Prince of Orange finding Holland free and quitted began to listen to the Proposals of the Parlament who as your Reverence knows had invited him into the Kingdom We were perswaded till now That his youthful Years which seem'd not to be ripe for great Enterprizes together with his natural moderation and averseness to Broils and Quarrels would not have permitted him to give ear on that side but since we understand That if he were not fully resolv'd yet his Wavering was enough to continue the King's Jealousies and that the States did no way disapprove his making a Descent which indeed would be the most advantagious Course they could take The News therefore of his Hesitation put the King of England upon coming to an absolute Determination who could not in prudence venture the Invading of his Kingdom by the only Enemy that he had most reason to fear A Revolution like that would have engag'd the King to a Diversion that must have been much to his Prejudice whereas now he may interpose as a Mediator and procure his Majesty an advantagious Peace if he thinks it convenient or if not he may be in a condition to do him all possible Services under-hand and of this your Reverence may assure his Majesty His Britannick Majesty having order'd me to send you word that notwithstanding the forc'd Peace which he has made he will never depart from that Alliance which he has contracted with him n● from his Interests which he looks upon as his own He has given a convincing Proof of his Constancy in rejecting the Addresses that were made him to repeal the Act which was made sometime since at your Request in favour of the Nonconformists under which Pretence he also protects the Catholicks and their Meetings He will do it for the future as much as he can of which your Reverence may be confidently assur'd I am c. The King who could not have had a more favourable Mediator then his Britannick Majesty willingly consented to referr his Interests to him and Sir William Temple was sent to the States to propose his Mediation which they presently accepted Spain and the Empire were more Nice and the Prince of Orange who had no kindness for a Treacherous Peace started all the Difficulties that could be thought of which was the Reason that the Thing was procrastinated for some time Afterwards he fought that famous Battel of Seneff against the Prince of Condè whom he had challeng'd to a fair Field for Fifteen Days together while Condè somewhat Inferiour in number kept himself within his Trenches till at length the Prince of Orange seeing it was impossible to follow him Decamp'd Condè who well knew that the ways were very narrow through which he was to pass let him go till he thought his Van-guard and main Body were out of reach and then came out of his Hole fell upon the Rear-guard and utterly defeated it and had he been so much Master of himself to have stopt there the Honour of the Victory had been solely his But he had too long withstood that martial Heat that importun'd him to be doing and as a Torrent stopt for a few Days by some certain Mound becomes more terrible and violent when once it makes way so Condè's Warlike Ardour that had been bounded by his Prudence for Fifteen Days was no sooner at Liberty but bearing now predominant Sway it made him lose the greatest part of the Advantage which he had won before For having pass'd the narrow Lanes and being got into the Plain he found the whole Dutch Army drawn up in good order which receiv'd him so co●ragiously that he lost about 15000 Men and was constrain'd to retire in great Danger to have been pursu'd but that Night coming on secur'd him The next Year Turenne was kill'd at a time that he thought he had had Montecuculi so fast that he could not have escap'd him Condè left the Army in Flanders to supply his room leaving the Command of the Army to Luxemburgh who so well order'd his Business that the Prince of Orange could not force him to a Battel only he took Binch and demolish'd it Toward the end of the Year 1676. the Commissioners met at Nimeghen to negotiate the Treaty of Peace Thither came the Plenipotentiaries from the Emperor from the Electors from the Duke of Lorrain from Hanover from Sweden from Danemark from France and Holland and England was Mediatrix which made one of the most noble Assemblies that had been known Nevertheless whole Years were spent in regulating the Preliminaries all which time the War was carry'd on vigorously and always to the King's Advantage For he took Condè Bouchain Valenciennes Cambrai and won the Battel of Cassel which was attended with the Taking of St. Omer This prosperous Success alarm'd the Parlament of England and forc'd 'em to desire his Brittanick Majesty to enter into a War and that with so much Importunity as gave him to understand that he must resolve upon it To that purpose they presented Two Addresses to him laying before him the Necessity of opposing such a Torrent of Victory more especially in Flanders beseeching him to make an offensive League with the Hollanders 1677. These Importunities very much displeas'd the King who fear'd nothing so much as that he should be constrain'd to it But at last the Marriage of the Prince of Orange with his Niece being consummated there was a Necessity for him to make a fair shew the best he could so that after long Conferences with him concerning the Peace he consented to the Addresses of his Parlament and promis'd to declare War against France if she stood too high upon her Terms Thereupon Commissions were given out for the raising of 20000 Men and Soldiers came in so fast that in Six Weeks the Levies were compleat so eager were the English for a War with France In the mean time the Dutchess of Portsmouth gave a punctual Account of all things to Father La Chaise who not knowing what other Remedy to apply told the King That now was the time if ever to set his Exchequer at work 1678. in regard his dazling Louidores had a strange Operation upon the King of England

terrible Slaughter and put the rest to the most dreadful Flight that ever was known This Glorious Victory reviv●d the Courage of the drooping Empire and every body coming again to themselves consider'd which way to make their best advantage of it So that Heaven continuing the blessing of success upon the Christian Arms they prosper'd to their own Wishes The King having beheld this Great Deliverance alter●d his Sentiments but not enduring to let his Neighbours be at rest he teiz●d the Spaniards about the County of Alost considerable for the Extent and Revenue of it which he claim'd as a Dependance upon his Conquests and upon the King of Spains refusing it he Besieg●d Luxenburgh and took it in lieu of an Equivalent All people thought that then the War would have broke out again more furiously then ever But the weakness of the Emperors Forces and the Emperors desire to prosecute his Victorys in Hungary were the reason that all their differences were put an end to and laid a sleep by a General Truce concluded in the Year 1685. While these things thus pass'd on Charles the II. King of England dy'd and left the Crown to his Brother the Duke of York who tho generally ill belov'd by the People and a declar●d Roman Catholick was nevertheless proclaim'd without any Opposition So happy a Success and perhaps so little expected spread an Universal joy among all the Jesuits who promis'd themselves no less then the entire reducing that Kingdom under their Dominion in three or four Years at most and they had already devour'd in imagination all the Noble Bishopricks and Considerable Benefices in the Realm nor indeed were their hopes so Chimerical but that they might have reason to have some assurance of it they were absolutely Masters of the new Kings Heart and Soul who was wholly govern'd by them as being to speak properly no more then their Prime Minister of State in his own Kingdom Besides they were protected by France extremely Potent and near at hand to pour in thirty thousand men into England when ever he pleas'd 'T is true this could not have been done without a prejudice to the King whose Authority would have been not a little diminish'd thereby but what car●d they provided they had got their ends Now as the whole company in general had great reason to be over joy'd at such a promising Event Father la Chaise in particular had more engaging motives of Exultation and Triumph The deceas'd King Charles had willingly listen'd to his Councils and had done several things in complacence to his advice but at the bottom he was a prudent Prince and one who otherwise loving his Pleasures and his Ease did not always do that which was desir'd of him nor was he of a humour to hazard the whole for nothing like his Brother who not having all the foresight imaginable but perswading himself in imitation of Lewis the Great that there needed no more for him to do but to attempt and Prosper blindly and erroniously deliver'd himself up to Evil Counsels Upon which Foundation la Chaise erected his project to set all Europe in a Conflagration of War the most violent that ere was known and hugg'd himself in his design which he lookt upon then as infallible Some prosperous successes as the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth and his Death render●d K. James so vain that he never thought England able to withstand him So that from that time forward he began hardly to observe any Measures wherefore in a short time the Kingdom was full of Monks of all Orders and particularly Jesuits who were become such favourites at Court that there was nothing to be there obtain'd but by application made to them And upon theirs and Father Peters ●s recommendation it was that Tyrconnel was made Deputy of Ireland where he committed extremities of Cruelty against the Protestants of whom he put a great number to Death This Tyrconnel was an Irish-man by Birth and low in Fortune he came young into England where he serv'd as a kind of Page for above ten Years at the end of which time he met with a Catholick who prefer'd him to the Duke of York in the quality of a better sort of Gentle man This was the Rise of his Fortune But to return to King James He receiv'd a Nuncio from the Pope into London which had not been known for above an Age before this was the Abbot Dada since made a Cardinal Some few days after his arrival he was consecrated Bishop of Amasia in St. James's Chapel by the titular Archbishop of Armagh and two other Bishops and in the Afternoon coming to pay his Respects to their Majesties they fell upon their Knees before him to receive his Benediction Hitherto the Nuncio had only appear'd incognito which not satisfying the King who pretended to do nothing in Hugger Mugger he resolv'd that he should make his publick Entry and chose Windsor for the Place To this purpose he orderd the Duke of Somerset first Gentleman of his Chamber to go the next day to waite upon the Prelate at his Lodgings and conduct him to his Audience The Duke would fain have shifted off the Employment by telling the King that it was absolutely contrary to all the Acts of Parliament that had been made upon that Subject but then the King casting an Angry look upon him Do said he as you are commanded I ask not your Advice Nevertheless the Duke continu'd his Excuses declaring to the King that there were several others who would obey his Orders with less Reluctancy and therefore besought his Majesty to lay his Commands upon them rather then upon him Very Good reply'd the King I shall do it but it shall cost you your Employment of First Gentleman and so turning to the Duke of Grafton who was then in the Chamber Duke of Grafton said he go to morrow and fetch Monsieur the Nuncio in my own Coaches of State and be you henceforward first Gentleman instead of the Duke of Somerset Nor did the Kings Wrath against the Duke of Somerset end there he took from him his Regiment of Dragoons and cast him quite out of his Favour The next day the Nuncio made his Entrance in the view of all the People in a Violet Habit his Rochet and * Habit of a Purple Colour resembling a Captains Gorget worn by a Pontifical Bishop above his Rochet and reaching down to the bending of his Arms. Camail All this was done at the instigation of Father Peters who was something more in England then la Chaise was in France And this latter seeing to his great satisfaction King James's weak side is reference to Peters resolv'd to make him serviceable to advance his own Grandeur That ambitious Jesuit la Chaise had been a long time aspiring to a Cardinals Cap but in regard that since the Pontificate of Innocent XI the Holy See had never had a more implacable Enemy then himself he justly question'd whether the Pope