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A90805
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The politicks of the French King, Lewis the XIV. discovered with respect to Rome. Emperour, and princes of the Empire. Spain. England. United Provinces. Northern princes. Suisse cantons: and of Savoy. With a short account of his religion. Translated from the French. Licensed according to order.; Aprit de la France et les maximes de Louis XIV découvertes ̀l'Europe. English.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing P2770A; ESTC R229739
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67,320
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98
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Assaults We hope also that the Emperours Council will stand better upon their Guard and appear more vigilant than they have been hitherto and that they will remove from France all means to pry into their undertakings yea even into their Closet-secrets For 't is well known what courses they have taken to make the Resolutions be changed and falsified when they were not relished by the King nor for his Interest and that the Emperour could neither speak consult write nor so much as make least proceeding but it was presently penetrated diverted another way incumbred watched and observed and by the Jesuits good leave they are accused of having had a great stroak in all these Affairs they always take the stronger side expecting a change No body can be ignorant but that the mis-understanding that arose between the Elector of Brandenburg and Monticuculi General of the Imperial Forces during the Holland War was occasion'd by the cunning contrivance of the Jesuite changing the Emperours Order to ingage Turrene with Brandenburg in the counterfeit Order not to engage which gave opportunity to the French Army to retreat which was in very great danger to have made their Graves there if it had been attacked by two so good Parties being reduced to its last legs through sicknesses running away from their Colours and a Mortality amongst them Then again At the Battel at Sennif Souches excuseth himself that he could not make the on-set for want of Orders this was hammered upon the same Anvil Yet we hope that Affairs changing their Face the Reverend Fathers the Jesuits will have better thoughts of the Empire I have much ado to omit two Affairs which happened during the Emperors last Rupture with the King one is the business of General Capelliers Steward of his Houshold who carryed on a correspondence with the French Embassadors and gave them a full account of whatsoever past at home in his Masters House that came to his hearing or knowledge the Letters of all the Matter were intercepted at the Post-house in Frankfort this Traytor indeed was clapt up but the Jesuits who at that bout had taken too large a Dose of Spirit Gall knew well enongh how to make him come of lest he should make a Discovery of some others During the Siege of Philipsburg by the Imperial Forces did not these good Men prevail with two Merchants to send in a supply of Powder but that Mine was sprung and vanisht in smoak the business was found out and the Jesuits brought it so about that the undertakers were not punished for fear lest they should make farther Discoveries I tell you this for truth for one of these Persons was one of my Acquaintance who told it me with his own mouth that they came to fetch him as far as from Paris where he was settled to get him to do this business You may see by this that the Spirit of France animates a great many Bodies actuates them strangely and that those in whom his Imperial Majesty puts most confidence are not always faithful to him When France carried on a design under-hand to induce the Emperour to bestow his two Sisters upon two Princes dispossest of their Inheritance it was not with an intent that businesses should succeed in this manner as we see they do at this day for we cannot deny but that Lorrain is the Restorer of the Empire an Hero of so many Great and Glorious Victories the Subduer of so many Provinces who will make the Grand Seigniour not only sue to him for Peace as he doth already but to grant whatsoever one demands of him to save his Head from the riot and fury of the Rabble who will be sure to do it if he conclude not a Peace or a Cessation of Arms and that speedily But this Spirit of France had its aims that is to say by getting some body to counsel the Emperour to bestow his two Sisters on two Princes in the forementioned Circumstances who despaired of recovering their Estates but by a Peace they would alwayes incline the Emperour to listen thereto notwithstanding his Imperial Majesty might not have that advantage by it that might be expected in hopes there might be some Article in it favourable to them restoring them to their Estates by this Peace The truth is that hath been very successful to the one as for the other it is to be hoped that he will open himself a passage to his Fortune by his Victorious Sword 'T is most certain that the misunderstanding which hath reigned between Prince Harman of Baden President of the Imperial Council and the Duke of Lorrain between the King of Poland and the Emperour are nothing but Eggs which France sits and hatches The Marquiss De Bethune is too well verst in the way to Poland and his Sister hath still a French Soul though Queen of that Kingdom The kindnesses the King of France has done her Children are faithful and living Witnesses and the transmitments that have past through the hands of the Bankers of Hamburg and Dantzik are like so many rayes of that great Sun of France which disperseth his Light into a great many Courts The Emperour cannot ignore that Itch of theirs is an old Distemper the Kings of France have so long been troubled with they long to be mounting the Imperial Throne because it is one step to the Universal or at least to the Monarchy of Europe Henry II. made them draw him out the Model after what manner the Romans cut out their way through Italy but those Countreys have ever been Caemiterium Gallorum and fatal to their Enterprises In like manner Duplessis gave advice to Charles IX never to venture upon Italy but upon the Netherlands Lewis XIV is much of his mind as shall appear by the sequel of the Story After the Death of Ferdinand III. did not the French King use his utmost endeavours to re-ascend the Throne of Charlemain he spared not to send into all the Courts of the Electors to procure their Votes and such who were great with these Princes did their business for them for France is free-natur'd enough when any one is to be brought over to their Party One of the visible demonstrations of the Kings designs is that he caused an Eagle to be put upon his Money just above the Head of his Effigies and that he speaks his mind freely but much more haughtily that the Empire hath been long enough in the House of Austria and that it is high time it should return to his again and that was just upon the Turks coming into Germany in the year 1683. But Man purposeth God disposeth All the wise projects and contrivances of Men are but folly before God who doth not guide the Oeconomy of the Universe according to the ambition of Lewis the Great Now because this King knows very well that the Electors may prove a great obstacle to his design upon the Empire if they have a mind to be cross therefore he
upon their heads We see after what fashion the Men who are there now are paid and the inconsiderable number of them and to say the truth there ought to be Twenty Thousand effective Men beside what is there already in Garrison to secure the Countrey and Ten Thousand more in case of a Rupture and since Spain can't furnish them with so many Men You must let the Towns there levy Men and pay them who will be willing to do it to secure themselves and avoi'd falling under the barbarous Dominion of the French or be quite ruin'd perhaps before it comes to that as many Towns and Cities have been before them and that flat Country now of late in which the most Religious places were not spared I know very well that that proposal has been debated in Council long since and that the Council of Spain has ever rejected it for slight reasons A good careful Governour especially the Duke of Lorrain who is so brave a Commander and adorn'd with Conquests at the head of Forty Thousand Men supported by the Prince of Orange would make France shake France has its Emissaries in the Council at Madrid as well as at other places to oppose every thing which may possibly thwart her designs and I am of opinion that it will turn to better account for the King of Spain to secure his Low Countries with the help of a Militi a payd by the Cities who wont abuse him than to lose that Countrey for want of Men to defend it The latter of these is almost irretrievable but that former would be effectual were it not for an ill-grounded Jealousie which possibly heretofore might have deserved consideration but is now quite out of doors for in my judgment we ought ever to take in hand the thing which is most urgent when the one is inevitable and the other may probably never come to pass I say once more that France can never compass her great design but by being first of all Master of the Low Countreys 'T was for this reason that Du Plessis advised his Master to set upon it that way and 't is that pass alone which Spain and its Allies ought necessarily to stop with the same care and diligence as they would the breach in a Bank through which the raging Sea is ready to come in upon them and this we shall see hereafter The French Kings Ambition and Interest is a Torrent whose Impetuosity neither Affinity of Blood nor Alliance Peace Treaties Truce Swearing nor even Mutual Oaths are able to withstand I 'le go farther no not the very bounds which God by his wise Providence has set to the limits of every Monarchy which seems to speak to each Monarch Hither shalt thou go and no farther But Lewis XIV has sworn not to rest satisfied with the Lot which the Supreme Monarch of the Universe has given him Who can tell had he once Conquered the World but he would begin again another Tower of Babel to scale the very Heavens Ambition knows no bounds but Pride goes before a fall Oh that Spain would not suffer her self to be lull'd asleep by this deceitful Truce 'T is a Dalilah which all on a sudden cry out to the Spaniards the Philistians are upon thee But I am afraid it will be so as 't was with Sampson who when he awoke finding himself fast bound could no longer avoid becoming a Prey and Conquest to his Enemy The Grandees of Spain are a great help to France and contribute without dreaming on 't very much to the advancing of her Interest and support of her Ambition whil'st they inrich themselves at their Masters Expence and in the mean time disable him to keep up Men for their common defence but if they were well advised they should reflect seriously upon the Condition they are in at present and upon that they are like to be in when they fall under the Tyranny of France How happily would such a comparison obviate the misery which is coming upon them For they must think when a French Man comes to the Crown that the Spaniards will be but little considered and at best be only pittied or despised The natural antipathy between those two Nations wont suffer the new King to trust himself with them and all their stateliness will serve only for the French Court to laugh and jeer at The Spaniards must not flatter themselves if that comes to pass that the Dauphin after his Fathers Death will leave France to go and live in Spain The King 's of France will alway value Versailles beyond the finest City in Spain They will send Vice-Roys thither who shall be Frenchmen both by nature and disposition Mortal Enemies to the Spaniards that thus they may be secure that they wont join in any thing with the Spaniards against the French Interest These Governours and Vice-Roys will bring along with them for their necessary use their French Tax the Mal tote which will in a little time bring forth a whole swarm of Impositions as the Taille Taillon Aide Grant or Octroit Preciput Equivalent Free Gift Gratification Aid upon Wines Gabels upon Salt Corn and Flower Tobacco and Perriwigs on all sorts of Stuffs Linnen-cloth Le pied fourchu Impost upon Flesh the Mark of Paper upon Silver and Tin upon Milled and Silk Stockings Impost upon Ice Controlle des Exploits Tax upon Fee-Farms Tax upon the New Conquests Quint and Requint Mortmains the price of Valuations the Mark of Gold the two Sols a pound the right of Sealage right of Controlle of Register and Oath La Paulette abatement of Wages Custom appointment of a Governour the Eighth Peny Impost and the re-union to the Crown of whatsoever hath been given or sold with some others not worth naming Again after that the Spaniards would have for their hosts some of those Devilish Farmers of the Kings Revenue who would fasten upon them as if they were a Conquered Countrey and at first dash would lay a Tax upon the Sun knowing they make use of that instead of a Fagot Therefore I maintain that Spain should endeavour above all things to dispose the Emperor to accept of a Peace or at least a Truce with the Grand Seignior To look out while this present King is living for a Prince to succeed him and that this Prince may betake himself in time to Madrid to be well known to the people and be in the Heart of the Kingdom To Defend it and get Crown'd immediately upon the Kings Death To possess himself of the great Seal and all Instruments relating to the Crown And to make the Grandees of Spain side with him as their Lord and Master Moreover by this means Spain may make an early provision for the security of the Low-Countries and be justly undeceived in that pernicious Opinion which the Council of Spain has that England and the Vnited Provinces must necessarily defend them for their own Interest I own 't is true they ought to do it