and Spain Which is the Reason that the King of France has always endeavour'd to procure their Amity or at least to have the one or the other on his side And this has been his Care all along during this War which began in 1672. at what time Sweden declar'd openly for France Tho' he repented of it afterwards whether it were by reason of his Ill Success and the Advantage of the Electour of Brandenburgh during that War or the Infidelity of the Court of France so far from observing her Word that she never pay'd the Money which she promis'd to that Crown but on the other side depriv'd the Northern Prince of his Dutchy of Deux Ponts Which ill Usage lost the French all their Credit in the Court of Sweden where they were afterwards look'd upon as Cheats insomuch that the Good Correspondence formerly between those two Nations turn'd into Hatred and Scorn After this Change in regard the Policy of France found it Convenient to have one of these two Northern Princes tack'd to her Interests she cast her Affection upon Danemark and so well ply'd the Ministers of that Court with her Louidores that now she governs 'em as she Pleases and makes 'em daunce to the French Ayres I must acknowledge that the King of France pays the Violins but still Lewis XIV has the Pleasure to see the Danes dance and foot it to his advantage The Siege of Ratzâ—nburgh cost France Three hunder'd Thousand Crowns which were pay'd at Hamborough upon throwing the First Bomb into that Fortress For the Policy of the Court of France would needs venture that Summ at a time when she had little reason to have spar'd it in hopes that this Siege would have made a notable Diversion and that all the Princes of the House of Luneburg would have recall'd all their Forces from the Low-Countries and the Rhine to defend that Place But here the French were cully'd by the Danes For the Difference was made up between both Parties France not being able to prevent the Reconciliation which seem'd to her to have been Impossible But this is not the First Attempt of the Court of France that has come to nothing So that it cannot be said that she takes her measures so truly as never to be mistaken as her Emissaries give out with high applause For to hear them Chatter a man would swear that the Resolves of the Cabinet of their Great Monarch were the Decrees of Heaven that never err which France does often and more frequently then she would her self In the Present Conjuncture France ready to sink under the Burthen of a Long Chargeable War makes use of Danish Flags and Vessels to get Corn and Naval Stores for her Men of War In short at present she embraces the Danes whom she contemn'd before as her only Patrons and Deliverers to whom she can have Recourse and she would sain have the King of Danemark declare War against the United Provinces The Minister of France residing at Coppenhaghen is continually beating his Brains day and night to furnish the Danish Ministers with Pretences to begin a Rupture he promises Ships and Money to assist 'em and that tho' it should be their Misfortune to come by the worst yet upon the making of the Peace he would never forsake 'em no more then he did the Swede when the Peace of Nimeghen was concluded The Louidores of France are most alluring Baits at the Court of Coppenhaghen but their Interest so undeniably requires 'em to hold a good Correspondence with the Hollanders rather then with any other Nation that only that Consideration out-ballances all the Golden Persuasions of the French Embassadour Bonrepos who having quitted his Religion to please his Master labours by all the Artifices of Fallacy and Deceit to become serviceable to him in acknowledgment of the Honour done him in sending him upon an Embassy for which he thought him a more fit Person then any Body else by reason of his Employment in the Sea Affairs under the Marquis of Segnalai But that which most embarrases France and Danemark both together is this that Swedeland which is the far more potent Kingdom of the two being engag'd in a strict Alliance with the Emperor and the United Provinces and having also Pretensions to Danemark will not be wanting to cross the Enterprizes of the Danish King who all things being consider'd can ne'er hope for any great Assistance from the French in the Present Conjuncture Moreover such is the Jealousie between those two Nations upon the score of Trade that the Danes are always afraid least the Swedes should be too hard for 'em and agree with the Hollanders to furnish 'em with all the Wood and other Naval Stores which otherwise they fetch from Danemark and which would be a loss to 'em that France would never be able to repair If the King of France cannot oblige Danemark to break with the United Provinces he is bound at least to procure as much Succour as he can from the North and to make use of Danish Colours to pass freely without molestation with promise to reimburse all the Losses which the Danes shall sustain by their Protection in regard the Danish Ministers readily foresee that so great a Number of Passports which they give for Money to all Vessels and all sorts of Nations that desire 'em must at length open the Eyes of the Confederates and force 'em to put a stop to a Trade that only serves to carry Counterband Goods into France contrary to Justice and Reason and to the prejudice of the Treaties Bonrepos does all he can to continue this Game and he keeps by him whole Reams of Blank Passports to fill 'em up in favour of those who desire 'em and to encourge 'em to sail for France he gives 'em to some and promises 'em to others and bequeaths himself a hunder'd Times a day to the Devil to assure 'em of the Honesty and Sincerity of his Master In short that Embassadour takes a world of Pains so that if he succeed in his Negotiation the King his Master may well bestow upon him the Collar of the Order of St. Lewis in recompence of his Toil and Labour and in exchange for his Religion The Count d' Avaux a Cunning and Crafty Minister at present the French Embassadour at Sweden is so well known in the World that we should do him wrong to write his Panegyrick He acted his part so well during his Embassy at the Hague that his Master sent him to King Jamâ—â— to assist him with his Counsel during the Heroick Expedition of that Prince in Ireland His Instructions are not altogether the same with those of Bonrepos's at Coppenhaghen because those two Courts are not both of one Opinion and for that the Promises of France have not that Reputation at Stockholm as at Coppenhaghen And therefore while Bonrepos presses the Danes to a Rupture d' Avaux only sollicits the Court of Sweden to stand Neuter and
verifie the Edicts and Impositions which the Kings sends to 'em as also that she may have her Legions always ready to invade the Dominions of her Neighbours when they least dream of any such Acts of Hostility or are otherwise employ'd relying upon the Faith of Treaties As we have seen how that after the Peace of Nimeghen when France finding her Treasures quite exhausted and her numerous Armies ruin'd by Sickness Hardships was constrain'd to make fresh Provision fearing a Change of Fortune as she had already felt at the Battel of St. Dennis For this reason she sought Peace to break the Union and obtain'd it in despite of those who well foresaw that France would no longer keep it after she had once recover'd Breath or that she found a Propitious Opportunity to break it For since the King of France falsify'd his Oath to observe the Pyrenaean Peace so solemnly sworn upon the Altar Sincerity is fled from the Court of France and return'd to Heaven from whence it descended and Corruption has taken the Place of Justice and Integrity In regard the Ministry of France was only meditated to aggrandize the King And therefore the deceased Sieur de Colbert Chief Minister never scrupled to assert That the King might break and make Laws at his own pleasure Privileges being Chimera's odious and offensive to it and that Law was only the Inclination Reputation and Authority of the Prince When the King of France has a mind to make himself Master of a Country or only of a single Town he never considers the Outward Situation but the Inward Condition of it by whom it is govern'd who defends it and the Louidores are most commonly the Cannons with which he attacks it And therefore Pompone formerly Embassadour at the Court of Sweden had in some measure good Reason to say that France with her Money would always do what she pleas'd and that it was by means of that Metal that she was at that time become Mistress of his Swedish Majesty's Cabinet and that she became Mistress of so many Places after the Peace of Nimeghen under pretence of Appendences and Dependences of which a great Volume might be made This is a Truth not to be deny'd since we have seen it with our Eyes and that we still behold the Inhabitants of those Places groaning under the severe Servitude of the Despotick Government of France But in regard that Usurpation cannot always long subsist and for that so many Princes are at last awaken'd from their Oppression the Court of France finding her self very much embarrass'd to preserve what she has usurp'd since the Peace of Nimeghen all her Policy could find out no better Expedient then to propose a Truce while the Emperour and the Empire were engag'd in a War against the Turk The Court of France had two Prospects in desiring this Truce The first That in detaining all the Places of which she had made her self Mistress she at the same time lull'd asleep the Court of Vienna on the Rhine side that she might oblige the Emperour to continue the War with the Grand Signior Secondly Not to observe the Truce any longer then till one or other of the Two Empires were reduc'd to a Low Condition Had it been the Emperour's misfortune to have lost Vienna then the Business was concerted and decreed That the King of France was to have invaded the Empire with a powerful Army and to have been proclaim'd Emperour with a high hand On the Other side if the Turks were beaten he was to declare War against the Emperour to prevent him from growing too great by his Conquests But the latter falling out for the good of Christendom presently France without any regard had to Truces or Alliances openly attacqu'd Philipsburgh carry'd it and afterwards march'd with his Army into the Palatinate which he over-ran with Fire and Sword and by Violence and Conflagrations got sure footing all along the Banks of the Rhine where we to this day behold the sad and deplorable Remainders of the Rage and Fury of the French Armies However in regard that Violence never wants a Pretence and that the most Impious Actions veil themselves in like manner with some Outward Appearances the King of France to justifie himself before all the World out of a kind of Generosity pretends to declare the Reasons why he was constrain'd to resume Hostile Arms to the end he might perswade all Christendom of his sincere Intentions to establish the publick Repose while his Soldiers in all Places ruin'd and burnt whole Provinces and carry'd away the Goods and Cattel of the Poor Inhabitants To this purpose the Most Christian King follows his begun Hostilities with a Manifesto wherein the Principal Reasons that France alledges to cover her Breach of Faith are first That she was well inform'd that so soon as the Emperour should have made a Peace with the Turk he had resolv'd to bend all his whole Force upon the Rhine against France To which I shall answer hereafter in Particular but in general thus much is to be said that the Most Christian King after he had broken the Truce desir'd to make a Peace upon two Conditions First That the Truce for Twenty Years might be chang'd into a Perpetual Peace and Secondly That the Cardinal de Furstenbergh might be put into the Possession of the Electorate of Cologne and that afterwards the King would endeavour to bring the Cardinal and the Chapter to such Accommodations as should be propos'd for the Satisfaction of Prince Clement of Bavaria that is to say to cause him to be declar'd Coadjutour to the said Electorate As to the first point the Politicks of the Court of France were very fine Spun and extreamly Crafty seeing that while the Emperour and the Empire were engag'd against the Turks it was the proper time for her to appropriate to her self all the Places Lands and Signiories which by the Truce were not left to the enjoyment of France but for Twenty years of which three were expir'd and which the King was fully perswaded in his Conscience that he could not justly keep but must be forc'd to restore at the Expiration of the Truce As for the Possession of Cologne by the Cardinal of Furstenbergh the detaining of which from the said Cardinal was another specious Pretence for his resuming Arms all Europe is sufficiently acquainted with the Engaging Reason which the Most Christian King had to make himself Master of that Archbishoprick seeing the Cardinal and the King were all one and so by means of that Possession the King of France had one Foot in the Empire and upon the Territories adjoyning belonging either to the States of the United Provinces or the Palatine and Brandenburgh Electors But because it will be a difficult matter for us to treat otherwise then confusedly of the Policy of France in general we shall descend to Particulars thereby to render it more Intelligible beginning with the Holy See The Kings of
England where I find that the Revolution which happen'd in the Year 1689. affords a large Field and ample Matter to supply my Discourse The Court of France not only cry'd The Town 's our's but Europe's my own so soon as she beheld James II. upon the Throne of Great Britain I shall not here enlarge upon the Accident that set him in the Throne But certain it is that France and He had long and passionately waited for the happy Minute for that according to their Saying between 'em Charles II. was a meer Slugg and had neither vigour nor courage to put in Execution the Projects that France was a Brewing But far from that Charles II. wanted neither Policy nor Ingenuity and might have gone to his Grave with the Character of Prudent and Vertuous but for his scandalous Inclinations for Women However it may be assuredly said That the Match to which he was in a manner driven against his own Consent made him disgust Matrimony and threw him into a Vein of wanton Courtship 'T is true 't was a Weakness in him too apparent for his Honour but France and his Brother the Duke of York knew how to make their Advantage of it And therefore the Joy of Lewis XIVth's Court was not to be conceiv'd so soon as both He and his Adherents understood the Death of that good Prince and the Elevation of James II. to the Throne the Jesuits rejoyc'd in particular and never was such Posting backwards and forwards between Versailles and London as after the King of England's Death came to be publickly known at the French Court And there was some reason for it for that then it was that the French Council began to take terrible Resolutions in order to the putting in Execution a Design that France had kept conceal'd in her Breast for many Years before She began with the Revocation of the Edict of Nants a Thing which she durst not meddle with so long as King Charles was alive though that Prince in his heart was none of the Devoutest Religionaries but a Politician much more and one who observ'd his Measures by reason of his Parliament that was well inform'd that England was the Garrantee of that Edict But so soon as James II. became sole Master in England the Court of France gave her self her full swinge and push'd on her Design upon Europe might and main because that then there was no longer any fear of England which was the only Puissance that could either disappoint or advance her Enterpâ—â—â—â— And this was a Truth at all times so well know◠〈◊〉 the Kings of England that Hen. VIII made a Meâ—â—â— of Gold upon which was engrav'd a Hand stretâ—â—ing it self out of a Cloud and holding a Pair of Scaâ—â—â— that were equally poiz'd with this Motto Mâ— Friendship turns the Beam But in King James's Time it was not Engâ—â—â—â— turn'd the Scale but France while England like 〈◊〉 Ox ignorant of his own Strength tamely surrender'd her Neck to the Golden Yoke of Lewiâ— XIV Formerly the Policy of France sent to the Court of England Lovely French Nymphs to cultivate the Hearts of the English Lords and of the Monarch himself But during King James's Reign another sort of Vermin were made use of and Monks and Jesuits were sent in Shoals that like so many Caterpillers and Locusts devour'd the Country and who had already dispers'd themselves over all the Kingdom and had made themselves Masters of the King and his Privy-Council to the great grief of all his good Subjects What a Heart-breaking must it needs be to the sounder Party at Court to see a Father Peters Chief in the Privy-Council pearch'd upon one of the highest Dignities in the Kingdom slighting and domineering over the Lords and Peers of the Realm as having got the Soveraign Authority into his Hands and for that the King and the Queen a Princess transported altogether by her Passion suffer'd themselves to be deluded and govern'd by this Tartuff of a Hypocrite and he over-rul'd by Father La Chaise who had all his Orders from the Court of France By which it may be easie to judge in what Condition France was at that time what Devils haunted both 〈◊〉 Court and the Kingdom trampl'd o're the â—â—â—ks of the King 's best Subjects and were just â—â—â—osing the People to the Rage of Queen Mary's â—â—ign who allow'd her Subjects no other Choice 〈◊〉 of the Mass or the Faggot â—â—ey who seriously consider the Policy of France 〈◊〉 respect of England during the Reign of King â—ames the II. will find the Game but very ill play'd â—eeing that in so short a time it gave an occasion to â— Revolution so dangerous to France But so it happen'd because that Lewis XIV not foreseeing the Consequences after he had once given a loose Liberty to the Monks and Jesuits was no longer Master of the Affair and those Vermin pusht on King James with so much precipitancy that he being desirous to do too much at once they ranvers'd at the same time all the Designs of France and cast him headlong from the Throne into an Abyss from whence he will never be able to rise again so long as he lives nor will all the Power of France nor the detestable Wealth and Politicks of the Jesuits be able to restore him again If the Court of France were so excessive in their Rejoycing upon the Coronation of King James we may assure our selves that they were no less drown'd in Tears of Grief and Rage upon his Abandoning the Crown And then it was that all the best Head-pieces both Jesuits and Courtiers met together which way to apply some proper Remedies to a Blow so fatal and so unlookt for and then it was that Lewis XIV acknowledg'd his Error in following the Marquis of Louvois's Counsel which was to attack Philipsburgh instead of Maestritcht and give the Prince of Orange an Opportunity to pass un-disturb'd into England But that which deceiv'd France was an Army oâ— Forty thousand Men which King James had a-foot of which a great part were Irish and a Fleet of Forty Men of War riding out at Sea which indeed was a Force sufficient both by Sea and Land to have resisted so small a number as attended the Prince into England But it may be said that that same great Body was a meer Monster all Arms but no Head and whose Veins were fill'd with Water only instead of Blood And if France had bethought her self to have sounded in the first Place the Heart of King James she would have found there more of Cowardice then Courage and without question she would have march'd her Troops to the Lower instead of sendâ—ng them to the Upper Rhine But by this we see that there is a certain Destiny which all the Wisdom all the Force and Industry of mortal Man cannot escape But now the Constitution of the Court of England being chang'd by the Alteration of the Government there was a necessity for the
to continue their Trade with France or instead of that to grant Passports to such as shall desire 'em to the end that Sweden and Danemark may be equally concern'd in case the Confederates should take disgust at the Great Number which the Danâ—s give out to all Commers And indeed it is to be said to the Praise of Sweden that that Crown has always acted sincerely with her Confederates and even with France it self at a time when Sweden could not have reap'd any great Advantages by a Correspondence with her and when no less sedulous Endeavours were us'd to have drawn off the Court of Sweden from her France has always courted Sweden to remove the Obstacles that continually lie in her way which is the Reason of that Infidelity of the French who break with their Allies at all times when the Humour takes 'em and well understand that Sweden being so potent and considerable is able to counterpoize Affairs provided she will but concern her self For in that respect she has always observ'd a very prudent Conduct neither does she approve all the Invasions of the French She knows the Truth of what M. Lyonne reports in his Memoirs where he says That there is not any State which is not bound to oppose the Aggrandizement of the Court of France and Sweden abâ—ve all the rest seeing that if the King had taken the Low-Countries he would have taken no further notice of her as believing he had no more Occâ—sion for her This is a solid Expression and to the purpose and ought to make a deep Impression in the minds of those who have prejudice against the Court of Swâ—den either deluded by the Flatteries of the Ministers of France or some base and sordid Interest of their own which greatly prevails in the world and leads a world of People astray But certain it is that Sweden has long since sounded the Ambition and Arms of France more especially at the Peace of Osnabrug and if at any time she hearkens to the Ministers of France 't is without doubt because she finds some little pleasure in dreining France and doing her but little Good 'T is also certain and visible that the Ministers of Sweden and Danemark who reside in Foreign Courts and more especially in those of the Confederates are frequently and vigorously assail'd by the Emissaries of the French on purpose to fish out how Squares go among the Confederates and may well retort upon the French Satans the Words of the Lord's Prayer Lead us not into Temptation but deliver from Evil but above all from the Evil Spirits of France that continually environ us For indeed a man ought to be shod with Frost-Nails to preserve himself from falling in such slippery Ground and he that can surmount those Temptations may well be number'd in the Catalogue of Upright Ministers and Faithful to the Interests of his Master Corruption or Bribery is now a General Mischief in the world but never any advanc'd the Price of it so high as the King of France for most certain it is that that one single Expence amounts to above Twenty Millions a Year For it is a Thing past all dispute that France upholds her self more by her Gold then by her Sword 'T is true she is many times put to her Plunges in time of War which dreins her Exchequer and enforces her to advance her Coin by which she gains considerably Formerly instead of enhauncing her Money France made use of another Stratagem which was to coin Louidores rais'd in value but mix'd with a baser Alloy then those that went current in the Kingdom which were distinguish'd by a little Mark quite different from others And some there are in the Court of Danemark who if they durst own the Thing could bring a Cloud of Witnesses to make it out as having experienc'd upon several Occasions the full swing that French Knavery allow'd it self I know likewise that the Thing was murmur'd at but the Cheat pass'd for that time upon promise of doing better the next time Therefore Charles II. King of England who was well acquainted with the Knavery of France when he receiv'd any French Pension which was usually pay'd him in Louidores order'd the Receivers to cut 'em in two pieces to see what Mettal they were made of and then caus'd 'em to be refin'd into Guinea's So natural it is for the Court of France not to leave any Cheat omitted to defraud all those that relie upon her As for Poland in regard it is a Kingdom remote from France it can do her neither any great Good nor any great Harm nor is there much Trade or much Communication between the Two Nations Corn is the Only Merchandize wherein Poland abounds and which it Transports from Dantzick into Foreign Countries But the Kings of Poland may in some measure sometimes be profitable to the Designs of France tho' it were only to molest the Emperour in many occasions that may and frequently do fall out For this Reason the King of France takes Great Care to send an Embassadour with Money to the Dyets upon the Election of a New King or else if they are not marry'd to offer 'em a Princess born in France and 't is very probable that the French Embassadour Beauvais and Cardinal Fourbin who was then at the Dyet in Poland contributed very much to the Election of the Present King for which he has not been ungrateful However he was guilty of two Bold Strokes which tho' they were greatly for his Honour were no way delightful to France The First was the King of Poland's March to the Relief of Vienna which was effectually perform'd with the loss of 60000 Turks to the great Grief of Lewis XIV and contrary to his Expectation and his Wishes And tho' some Remains of Decorum and Honour retain'd the Court of France from openly displaying her Resentment yet the Silence of the French discover'd how much they were vex'd and mortify'd by it at a time when all Europe resounded with loud Acclamations of Joy and Gladness and all the Churches with Thanks givings to Heaven Only the Sorrow of France notoriously display'd it self by her Prohibiting the Bishops of the Conquer'd Cities in the Low-Countries to suffer Te Deums to be sung within their Diocesses The second Blow which his Majesty of Poland gave to the Contrivances of France was the Marriage of Prince James to one of the Princesses of Newburgh Sister to the Empress notwithstanding all the Oppositions of the French Ministers and particularly of the Marquis of Arquin the Queen's Father wherein the Contests grew so high that the King of France order'd one of his Ministers to tell his Majesty of Poland That since he could not hinder the Marriage he would hinder the Prince from being King But in these two Affairs the Polanders were guided by their real Interests which was to bring down and ruine the Turks their sworn Enemy and near Neighbour as also assure to themselves the Amity
intended to be propos'd This same Coldness natural to the Switzers makes me believe that that Nation cares not so much for the Friendship of their Confederates as for their Money However it be this must be agreed in their behalf that they are not only faithful to what they promise but stout upon all occasions as we may see by fourteen Battels which they fought with the Emperour Ferderick and three others which they won from Charles the Bold the last Duke of Burgundy and all the Brave Atchievements which they perform'd in Italy as well for as against France under the Reign of Charles the VIII Lewis XII and Francis I. And for that reason it is that since that time the Greatest Potentates of Europe have always sought their Friendship and their Alliance and that the French have caress'd 'em with a great deal of Artifice and Money not so much out of any Kindness which the French have for the Switzers or for the need which they have of their Men in time of Peace but for fear least the Cantons should enter into a Solemn Engagement with the House of Austria For which reason France is careful to stipulate in all the Treaties which she renews with the Cantons that they shall not send above such a number of Men to any other Foreign Princes and those only for the Guards of their Bodies The Embassadour of France has made choice of Soleurre for the Place of his Abode because the Inhabitants of that Canton are all zealous Roman Catholicks who pin their Faith with great Submission upon the Sincerity of their Curate and the Embassadour resides here to shew the Particular Honour which his Master has for the Roman Catholick Cantons above the Evangelick and that the Monks and Priests may have free Access to him who bear a great Sway among the Catholicks Moreover the little Summs of Money which the Embassadour scatters among the Chief of 'em procure him Creatures that still will be inclin'd to the Interests of France and readily stoop to the Lure And by this means it was that the French got leave to build the Fortress of Huninghen which as long as it stands will be a Hook in the Noses of the Inhabitants of Bale to lead 'em which way the Policy of France shall judge most convenient for her purposes Nor is it long since the Governour of that Fortress made an Essay whether the Cannon of that Place would reach as far as the City that he might take his Measures accordingly For whatsoever Protestations of Friendship France at present makes to the Cantons Lewis the XIV had rather be their Soveraign then their Confederate that Monarch has a long time cast a Covetous Eye upon Bale and Geneva and had e're this been Master of 'em had not other Considerations kept him within Bounds and were he once Master of those Barricado's of Switzerland the rest would soon be expos'd to the Misfortune of lying fit for his Convenience He is a Fox but he has Lyon's Claws and he makes use of his Head to deceive the Catholick Cantons under the Specious Pretence of Propagating Catholicity but he reserves his Paws for the Protestant Cantons There is no question but that among the Switzers among whom there are some who have travell'd and seen the World there are to be found several Persons sufficiently quick-sighted Politick and such as understand how Things are carry'd 'T is not long since a Difference happen'd in the Canton of Glaris which France first kindl'd and â—â—mented to the utmost of her Power buâ— Innocent the XI quickly stifl'd it by his Wisdom and Piety I am convinc'd that those Persons are deeply sensible of the Affronts which France puts upon 'em from time to time and with what Scorn she treats their Embassadours the last of which were forc'd to return without being able to procure Audience of the King after sedulous Applications to Colbert Croisy Secretary of State for the Foreign Affairs But the more prudent sort of Switzers you 'll say would fain have the Lyon chain'd and his Claws par'd before they fall upon him To which I Answer That the Switzers may contribute very much toward the Chaining of the Lyon as furious as he seems to be and yet not openly declare themselves neither by demanding the dismantling of Huninghen and for want of so doing by recalling their Men out of France which compose the greatest part of the French Infantry and are the only Combatants well seconded by the Cavalry upon which the French depend for all their Success The King of France is now Convinc'd of the Value of the Switzers and so has been ever since Louvois's Ministry Formerly they were not well belov'd at Court nay they were contemn'd but since the Alteration of the Face of Affairs they are at present consider'd for the Benefit which France receives from 'em like Twins that are ty'd together and must dye together I must confess that the Establishment of the Swiss Regiments is worth some Money to that Nation and discharges the Country of abundance of idle lazy People but I 'll maintain it that the French Service is the Plague and Destruction of vast numbers of Young Men of Good Protestant Families that ruine themselves by the Debaucheries of Wine and Women which always terminates in a Revolt against their Religion and their Country Which would never happen if they serv'd the Protestant Princes The Court of France knows well that she cannot fasten an Officer of Quality to her Interests with a stronger Tye so as to make him absolutely forget his own Country then by the Change of his Religion And therefore she Labours underhand by means of the Women and Monks and those Snares take Effect with the greatest part that are attack'd by those Vermin as was seen by the Example of the Two Stoupa's Not to reckon the more Inferiour Sort all the Swiss Officers and Soldiers as well those that serve in France as those that are sent to the Mines in Sweden I look upon 'em equally lost both to their Families and their Country for they never return again unless they make their Escapes by some sort of Stratagem but it may be said that the Pleasure and Voluptuousness of France is so great that they are pleas'd with their Misfortune There they are bred and there they dye to make room for other New Commers who are Tempted thither like Young Pigeons with the smell of Roasted Dogs France has had no place from whence to supply her self during this War but the Swiss Cantons Some Seamen she may get indeed from the North but for Land-Soldiers of necessity it behoves her to caress and embrace the Helvetian Body without whose Assistance the French would never be able to bring such Numerous Armies into the Field And the Switzers are the Only Persons upon which the King of France may depend so long as he keeps his Word with 'em and that he pays 'em what he contracts for
and what he promises Nor will they stand to the Losses of his enhauncing and re-inhauncing his Money They must have their Money pay'd according to the old value set down and agreed upon in ther Contracts that is to say the Louidores at Eleven Livres and the White Crowns at Sixty Sols For the Switzers are thrifty Husbands and send a good part of their Pay to their Parents in Switzerland where there is no Variation of the Coin admitted Now it being so certain as I have already said that France stands in need of the Switzers in this Conjuncture this is the reason that the French Embassadour residing in Switzerland has Orders not to disgust 'em nor give 'em the least Subject of Complaint but in every Canton to caress all those in particular who have the best Interest and carry the greatest Sway on purpose to prevent 'em from entring into a more strict Alliance with the House of Austria the King of Great Britain and the States of the United Provinces For which reason it was that the French Minister us'd all his Power and Interest to stop the Levies which M. Cox the King of Great Britain's Envoy would have rais'd not long ago But if the Business did not then succeed France is beholding for it to the want of Management in those that understood not the right knack of dealing with the Switzers seeing afterwards others found the way to discover the forward Inclinations of that Nation toward the Confederates by the Levies that were made underhand which is a terrible Blow to France in regard that those new Regiments draw away a Great Number of their fellow Country-men out of the French Service especially the Protestants However we do not find that France dares to make any great noise about it moderating and restraining her Passion till a more propitious Opportunity but in regard the Cantons on the other side may be assur'd that she Barrels it up and that if at present they escape Scot-free yet whenever it lies in her Power France will never forget such heinous Provocations therefore 't is now the Switzers Interests to labour with the rest the humbling France now the Confederates are following her so close at the Heels For the Lower France is brought the more the French will caress the Switzers and seek their Assistance whereas in their Prosperity they slight and domineer over 'em and would utterly subdue 'em were it in the Power of the Court of France that resembles Fire or the Sea which never will acknowledge they have enough But at present the Policy of the Ministers prompts em as the wisest Course to temporize and to oppose whatever is transacted to the Prejudice of France rather by Remonstrances and Presents then by Force and Menaces As for the Turks they have been all along Enemies of Christ and the Christians because the Gospel destroys their Alcaron The Sultan takes upon him the Title of Musulman or Most Faithful as the King of France assumes the Title of Most Christian Yet we know that the Turkish Emperours have establish'd their Dominion by Cruelty only and that their Throne is soder'd together with the Blood of a Great Number of Martyrs and an Infinite number of all sorts of People and Nations yet notwithstanding all this the Turk is at present the sole Refuge of France and she embraces him as her only Patron She is enter'd into a strict Alliance with the Ottoman Port furnishes him with Money Cannon and other Warlike Ammunition supplies him with Able and Expert Officers and Engineers to the great damage of the Christians And which was more pernicious the Policy of the Court of France exerted it self to that degree as to persuade the Turk to break the Truce with the Christians two Years before it came to be expir'd meerly to support the Rebellion of the Hungarians who according to the Opinion of the Ministers of France were to contribute toward the Ruine of the Empire and Emperour of the Christians Had the Bishop of Perefixe been living at this time he must have been forc'd to have recanted what he asserted in his History of Henry IV. where he says That the Valour of the French was made choice of by God to support the Christian Religion Seeing that the Court of France labours nothing more earnestly then to destroy the same Religion She never minds whether or no the Turks change the Churches into Mosquees or set up the Standard of Mahomet above the Cross of Christ provided her Monarch satisfie his Ambition and become Master of the Empire Tho' the Turks are People both Barbarous and altogether Infidels nevertheless they observe this Maxim never to abandon those that put themselves under their Protection and to keep their Words and Promises and this is one of the Points of their Law And therefore it is that they acknowledge that all the Misfortunes and Losses which they have sustain'd during this War have proceeded from their Breach of Faith and Truce And this it was which spurr'd 'em on about two Years ago to send their Envoys to Vienna with Offers of Peace to the Emperour Which hotly alarum'd the Court of France but she being Subtle and Crafty took an Occasion to insinuate into the Turks That they might continue the War without any Scruple of Conscience seeing they had offer'd Peace to the Emperour that he had refus'd it and continu'd his Hostilities against them That now the Turks who were to look upon the War as purely defensive on their side and the French Embassadour at the Port understood so well by Considerable Presents to gain the Grand Mufti to his side who is the Oracle of the Ottoman Court and consulted in all Cases of Conscience that the Infidel Pontiff embrac'd the French Divinity and made it out to the Sultan and the People after the Return of the Envoys that they might continue the War without any scruple and that their Submission to the Christians was a sufficient Expiation for the Crime they had committed Nor is it a difficult thing to persuade the Turks to these Things who naturally hate the Christians and are easily induc'd to undertake their Destruction and so Self-interested as readily to yield to the Temptations of Presents Moreover their Extraordinary Inclination and their Interest to recover Hungary which they have lost persuades 'em without any Reluctancy to embrace the Proposals of the Court of France and to renew the League between 'em from time to time upon the Assurances Promises and Oaths of the French Embassadour that his Master will make no Peace with the Emperour wherein the Turk shall not be comprehended And yet all the World knows how earnestly the Ministers of France sollicit the Confederates to make a Peace without mentioning the Turk in the least and it was an Argument of the French at Rome to spur up the Pope that a Peace would give the Emperour great Advantages and strengthen him to carry on his Conquests to the very Walls of
THE New Politicks OF THE COURT OF FRANCE Under the Reign of LEWIS XIV WHEREIN Are to be seen all his Intreagues and his present Manner of Acting in respect of all the Potentates of Europe to satisfie his Ambition and Grandeur Made English from the Original Printed at Cologne 1694. LONDON Printed for Henry Rhodes at the Star the corner of Bride-lane in Fleet-street And John Harris at the Harrow in the Poultry 1695. THE Secret Intrigues OF THE COURT of FRANCE THat which we call the Policy of a State very nearly resembles the Oeconomy of a Private Family the Ministers and Treasury-Officers of the One are like the Steward and Caterer in the Other And therefore it was that an Ancient Author made no difficulty to say That a Politick Court supported the State in like manner as Oeconomy kept up the Grandeur and good Discipline of a single House And as there are two sorts of Oeconomy the one Honest and Praise-worthy the other Mechanick and Sordid which a Lunatick Person makes use of to pile up Riches any manner of way thereby rendring himself odious to all Men of worth 't is very near the same thing with Policy which may be also distinguish'd into two Classes the one Lawful the other Illegitimate Which latter having only usurp'd the Name of Policy as Usurpation has done conceals it self under the Appellation of Conquest On the other side True Policy is not only beneficial but commendable and permitted by the Laws of God and Man She is the Daughter of Prudence and the Prince that makes use of her Profitably and Sincerely wins to himself by that means the Admiration of Foreigners as well as the Love and Respect of his own Subjects and frequently merits the Epithetes and Sirnames of Great â—aâ—â—â—â—ise Oâ—â—he other â—â—de False Policy is meerly â—lyâ—â— cunning wilâ—ly Craft or in a word downright Knavery and Cheat always covetous of other Mens Goods leaving no Stone unturn'd to aggrandize it self at any rate whatever come what will come of it and tacking according to the Proverb The Foxes to the Lyons Skin And these two different sorts of Politicks are as two Opposite Mirrours that openly display the Inside of Princes and shew their vertuous or wicked Inclinations Nor can I forbear divulging to the World that the Court of France ever since the Death of Hen. IV. has very much studied the Practice of this same false Policy on purpose to endeavour the Aggrandizing of her self by Cheat and Usurpation And it may be said to have had extraordinary Success in this last Reign of Lewis XIV under a false Idea of Conquest having thereby augmented his Revenues to above two Thirds and his Dominions above a Third Part as might be easily prov'd were it not visible to all his Neighbours or if his Neighbours were not sensible of it by woful Experience And I do farther averr that it was almost impossible for France to aggrandize her self and every way to enlarge her Dominions as now we see her Limits extended or for her Monarch to raise himself to the present Pinacle of Grandeur had she not made a smart use of Violence Usurpation Breach of Faith To which I may moreover add the Hypocrisie and Deceit which the King of France has us'd in these latter times of Religion on purpose to trample under foot and appropriate to himself the Estates of his Subjects and the Treacherous Leagues he has made with Foreign Princes the more easily to deceive 'em and lay hold upon favourable Opportunities to invade their Territories when least they dream'd of any such thing but lay reposing under the Security of a Peace and all this to make himself Master of their Dominions when it was not in the Power of their Allies to assist ' em Formerly indeed the Romans who were Pagans made use of the same Maxims and the same Stratagems to grow great upon their Neighbours and to make themselves universal Masters of the World And now Lewis XIV believes he cannot fail of obtaining the same Success in his vast Expectations by treading the same laudable and worthy Steps We have seen that since the Church-Men for most part greedy Heapers of Wealth have intruded into the Ministry of the Court of France they have instill'd into the Government Sentiments like their own that is to say Sentiments of Usurpation and Covetousness and a Liberty to do whatever they please and as it is usually seen that a Master endeavours to bring up his Disciples in his own Sentiments and to be of his humour so the Cardinals of Richlieu and Mazarine inspir'd into Lewis XIII and Lewis XIV eager Desires to make themselves Great by Usurpation infusing into 'em by all the ways imaginable that a Prince was always cry'd up in his Undertakings let 'em be good or bad provided that they prosper'd in their Enterprizes because the People adore and like the Sun-flower turn toward the Glitter of Prosperity That it was neither necessary nor beneficial for a King to be good sincere or merciful only that 't was sufficient to appear so in regard it was frequently dangerous to be so indeed and for that it became a King above all things to be always his own Master by acting quite the contrary when his Affairs requir'd it whether it were to make himself Great or for his own Honour seeing that Men judge rather by the Eyes then by the Hands every body having the Liberty to behold and consider the Actions of Kings but not to handle 'em that is to examine and dive into 'em those are Mysteries conceal'd like the Oracles of the Pagans in times of Old Lewis the XIV is so strongly perswaded that the People are only taken with Appearances and gaudy Shew that he affects no more then only to appear outwardly honest sincere and Religious when in reality and at the bottom of his Soul there is nothing of all this in him as has been seen by all the World ever since his first coming to the Crown Seeing there is no better way to judge of the Inward Heart then by the Constancy of a Mans outward Actions then which there can be nothing more plain if we consider the Opressions the Exactions the Cruelties committed during the whole Course of his Reign as also his Usurpations upon his Neighbours Nor can the more Moderate of his Subjects alledge any thing fairer in his Excuse then only this that his Design is to aggrandize himself and that this is the surest Means to render himself formidable as well to his Friends as to his Enemies both at home and abroad Therefore to become Great according to Lewis the Fourteenth's Method there was a Necessity for him to fail of his Word and Faith so soon as he found the Keeping of either prejudicial to Him to break his Alliances concluded and solemnly sworn with his Neighbours and nearest Relations so soon as an Opportunity presented it self to invade their Territories It may be said that this
Sacrifice every thing to his own Interest Honour Word Alliances Edicts Promises Oaths when all these Vertues were opposite to his Aggrandizement That it behov'd a Prince that would be great to accommodate himself to the Necessity of Affairs that it was sufficient for a Prince to be Vertuous when he could not dispence with being otherwise that it was good and commendable to know what was just and honest but not always expedient to practise it That there were some Vices which no way hinder'd a Prince from Governing well that Solomon was subject to Women yet look'd upon to be the Greatest and Wisest of all Kings for that there is always a Distinction to be made between the Domestick and Publick Life of a Prince his Royal and his Private Vertues Cardinal Mazarine having thus found out the Genius of his Disciple 't was an easie thing for him to imprint in his Mind these New Lectures of Policy which afterwards serv'd for a Basis and Foundation to the Reign of Lewis XIV who togetâ—â—â— with the Queen-Mother out of pure Gratitude deliver'd into the Cardinal's hands the Keys of all the Favours and Honours of his Kingdom upheld him in despite of all the Princes of the Blood and notwithstanding all the earnest Importunities of the Parliament and People underwent all the Dangers of a Civil War for some Years and not being able to live without the Cardinal's Presence the King sent for him twice out of Banishment and receiv'd him with those Honours that were no way due to him even to the going several Leagues to meet him and to express his excessive Joy for his Return by mutual Embraces I shall not here enlarge upon the Authority and Power which that Italian Cardinal had in France 't is sufficient to say That the King during his Minority had all the Deference and Respect for that Prelate which a Son could have for a Father and that it was the Cardinal who only reign'd in France In lieu of which he promis'd the King and Queen That he would make him the Greatest Monarch in Europe In order whereunto he was to do Two things The First was To heap up Treasure and augment his Revenues The Second was To lay aside all Scruples of Conscience when the main Concern was the Aggrandizing his Kingdoms The first Tryal of Skill which the Cardinal made in the behalf of France waâ— during his Nunciature when the Peace was concluded at Chiâ—iascâ— where the crafty wilely Miâ—ister deceiv'd the Pope his Master the Princes of Italâ— and the King of Spain in favour of the French Court and so well Cully'd the Duke of Sâ—â—â—â— that he wrested out of his Hands that Imporâ—â—â—â— Place of Pigneâ—ol to deliver it into the Hands 〈◊〉 which was an Acquisition that all the King's Money and Power could not obtain before though he had had an aking Tooth for it a long time And this same Cheat and cunning piece of Knavery it was though the Court of France paid for it in good Ready-Money that purchas'd him the Good-Will of all the Court of France and the Friendship of Cardinal Richlieu which Mazarine still improv'd and kept tite by Presents which he sent him out of Italy from time to time and so well he understood to inveigle all the rest that he was call'd into France in the Year 1639. where a little time after his arrival the Death of Father Joseph the Capuchin became the Life of Maâ—arine This Capuchin was he who serv'd Cardinal Richlieu in all his Intrigues both within and without the Kingdom and who was sent into England during the Reign of Charles I. to sow Division and raise a Civil War which cost that Nation Rivers of Blood So that the Capuchin had good reason to say at his return out of England That he had set Fire to those Sparkles which would kindle such a Flame as would not easily be extinguish'd in Acknowledgment of which the Court of France promis'd to get him a Cardinal's Cap to cover his Bald Pace But he was not so happy as to see himself clad in Purple Deaâ—â—â— seizing him in the Habit of a Saint of a Franciscan After which the Court of France bent all her Sollicitations in favour of Maâ—arine To which Cardinal Richlieu was the more willing to give his Consent as being glad to see himself succeeded in the Ministry by a Person of no less Rank then he was who though he were inferiour to him in Birth yet was his Equal in Dignity Both Princes of the Church yet not without some secret Jealousies between ' em But the King and Queen favour'd him in Consideration of the Business of Pignerol and his declar'd Devotion for the Interests of France so that he was advanc'd to the Purple toward the End of the Year 1641. Immediately after his Promotion he went to take Possession of the Principality of Sedan which the two Cardinals had wrested from the House of Bouillon by Violence forasmuch as that Principality border'd too near upon France and also durst make Head against it but at a time when France was not so powerful as now it is 'T is true that the Duke of Bouillon Frederick Maurice who was then Sovereign of the Place had very much contributed to the loss of it by changing his Religion upon his marrying the Countess of Berghe For being at that time Governor of Maestricht and in the Service of the States of the United Provinces whose Protection warranted his Territories from all Assaults of France yet finding himself no longer acceptable to the Prince of Orange his near Kinsman nor to the States themselves he desir'd leave to lay down his Commission and retire to Sedan there to lead a private and quiet Life and wholly to employ himself within his Principality to the Propagation of the Roman Religion which he had embrac'd in which Employment he made some Progress during some Years After which he met with Business much more considerable by reason of the Refuge which he gave to the Count of Soissons one of the Princes of the Blood and who was retir'd in discontent from the Court of France by reason of some Quarrel with Cardinal Richlieu and this Count was follow'd by the Duke of Guise Now the Duke of Bouillon thought to have avoided all Occasion of Trouble by giving notice to the Court of France of the Retreat of those two Princes but the Cardinal a subtle and crafty Politician seeing he could not hinder it persuaded the King to approve what he had done till an Opportunity of Revenge presented it self as it appear'd not long after by the King 's taking the Field in order to besiege the City of Sedan Nor had the Duke at that time any other way to preserve himself but by clapping up a League in all haste with the Emperor and Spain by which they were to assist him against France with Seven thousand Men and Two hundred thousand Crowns in Ready-Money But the Emperor only perform'd his
which would inevitably prove the Ruine of his Family and that they were engag'd as well in Honour as in Conscience not to expose him to that Extremity To this he added That tho' the Queen and the Duke had the least reason in the world to distrust his Words nevertheless he offer'd to give his Children in Hostage or to submit to whatever Precautions they desir'd to take for the Security of the Young King But this was like knocking at a deaf Man's door for the Abbot who had his Instructions told him with a great many Complements That he had only Orders to hear him but that he would make a faithful Report of what he had said adding with great Protestations That it should be none of his Fault that he had not a favourable Answer but that was a thing which was never intended So that Bouillon finding that the Abbot never came at him more resolv'd to address himself directly to the Queen and the Duke of Orleance but both the One and the Other knew so well how to avoid meeting him that he could never find an Opportunity to speak to ' em Which put him into a Rage and caus'd him to let fall some hard words against the Queen and the Duke as being too forgetful of what he had done for ' em However Bouillon unwilling to return Home without a positive Answer apply'd himself again to the Abbot but then he could never find the Abbot at home his Servants having Orders still to deny him whenever Bouillon came to ask for him Nay it happen'd one day that tho' he knew that the Abbot was at home by certain Persons of Quality that waited in his Antichamber to speak with him yet the Abbot was so unmannerly as to send out one of his Servants to tell him bluntly in the hearing of those Gentlemen That the Abbot was gone abroad which put the Duke of Bouillon into such a Rage that he bid the Servant tell his Master That had it not been for the Respect which he bore the Duke of Orleance he would have return'd him such a Treatment for his Sawciness that should have stuck to him as long as he liv'd This Transport of Passion in the Duke made a great noise at Court so that the Queen and the Duke of Orleance were glad of this pretence to ridd themselves of a Person whose presence continually Reproach'd 'em with his past Services and the Cardinal propos'd in Council a second seizure of his Person But Bouillon having notice of it underhand took Post for Turenne there to spend the Remainder of his days having lost not only the Important City of Sedan but the promis'd Equivalent besides Nor does the Court of France do any thing more for the Family of Bouillon then only lull 'em asleep with Cardinals Caps and Benefices of the same value Thus we send Trifles to the Indians and bring away their Gold and Silver I would fain have the French Emissaries tell me what reason the Most Christian King had to make himself Master of the Principality of Orange to beat down the Fortifications of the Castle in the year 1667 when the Sovereign was under Age and afterwards utterly to demolish the Castle and Walls of the City and not content with that same Desolation to sollicite the Corporations to submit themselves to the King threatning if they refus'd to burn and totally ruine the Inhabitants as afterwards the French Forces did notwithstanding their Independant Sovereignty I am perswaded the best reason those Emissaries can give is because the Policy of France cannot brook a Foreign Sovereignty within her Dominions and so it was the Interest of the Court to make themselves Masters of it before the Sovereign was in a Condition to withstand their Power by means of his Friends and Confederates and all the while they pretended that they had done the Prince of Orange a signal Piece of Service because they had spar'd him the Expence of a Garrison But if such be the Charity of the Most Christian King what may we expect from his Severity Without Question the same Spirit it was that inspir'd France to seize upon Burgundy and Franche Conté without any pretence of Claim after the Pyrenaean Treaty and without any other reason but because Spain being weak was not able to defend her self and because it is really the Court of France to aggrandize her self so soon as she finds an Opportunity without any respect to Treaties or Alliances And it may be said that the Ministry of Mazarine was a continu'd Chain of Oppressions and that he made it his Study all his Life-time to extinguish the Nobility of France by all the ways imaginable whether right or wrong tho' he were cunning enough to support 'em during the Troubles which happen'd in the Kingdom during the reigning King's Minority But so soon as he had manag'd 'em so soon as he had humbled their Power by ruining 'em for he who deprives a Prince of Money takes from him the Soul of Authority the Princes of the Blood did nothing but cry out and openly reproach the Court that she was full of nothing but Craft Artifice and juggling Tricks to abuse the People and the Confederates but they might cry as loud as they pleas'd the Ministry went its own way and the Cardinal let 'em say what they pleas'd provided he did his own business For it may be said of him that his Tongue bely'd his Heart and that his Countenance quite differ'd from his inward Thoughts He was often wont to say that the French were naturally Turbulent given to Novelty and prone to Sedition and that the Court was full of Restless Spirits Which was the Reason that he always endeavour'd to cut 'em out Employment without the Kingdom But in regard he had no reason to be satisfy'd with the People he was the Inventor of the greatest part of the Taxes now raging in France the Father of the Publicans and Toll-gatherers He suck'd the Blood of the Subjects in imitation of the Grand Signior for the Support of the Soldiery preferr'd before the People at the Expence of the People and tho' it should be to their utter Ruin to the end he might be able to quell 'em when ever they should be inclin'd to Mutiny and Insurrection Insinuating into the Young King that the Preservation of his Crown depended upon his Soldiers as heretofore the German Legions vaunted to hold the Empire in their Hands And in pursuance of that Maxim we have seen that during this Reign the Court of France has practis'd this Lesson which has ruin'd her People that she has impoverish'd her Subjects depriv'd the Nobility of their Privileges and all this meerly by keeping great Armies on foot to serve her at all times with both Hands to ruin the People when ever they went about to shake off or complain of the Excessive Taxes and Imposts with which they are daily overwhelm'd to chastize the Parliaments when they refus'd to
Court of France to change her Batteries and to employ all her Politicks which way to dethrone the reigning King whether by the Sword by Fire or by Poyson 't was indifferent to her provided she attain'd her Ends and for the Truth of this we have sufficient Proofs the Testimony of Grandvall at his Death and the authentick Depositions of Demont who is still living to the Shame and Confusion of France the Remembrance of which will be a lasting Stain to her Honour a Fact which her succeeding Princes will deny as a Reproach to their Posterity and for which Histories only furnish us with the Exrmple of Darius King of Persia who not being able to vanquish his Enemy Alexander in Battel treacherously labour'd to have won the Grecian Soldiers either to kill or betray their Prince And for that it was that the Macedonian Victor upbraided Darius's Embassadors when they came to sue for Peace and to return him Thanks for the Civilities he had shew'd to his Mother his Wife and his two Daughters to which Embassadour the Macedonian Monarch thus began his Answer Tell your Master that Thanks are superfluous among Soldiers that make War one upon another and therefore if I were Civil and Courteous towards his Relations 't was only to satisfie my self and not out of any Affection that I bear to him for 't is not my Humour to insult over the Miserable I never attack Prisoners nor Women I only assail those that I meet with Weapons in their Hands and who are in a Condition to defend themselves So that if he sincerely desir'd Peace I should consider what I had to do but seeing that he still continues by Letters and Money to sollicit my Soldiers to betray me and my Friends to Kill me I am resev'd to pursue him to the uttermost of my Power no longer as an Enemy but as a Poysoner and a Ruffian c. 'T is not to be deny'd but that when any man designs to murther his Enemy 't is because he dreads him with a more then Ordinary Fear and to deprive his more valiant Adversary by such a Cowardly and detestable Action of the Honour of vanquishing him in Battel But such Assassins never come to good End for Darius perish'd miserably being murder'd by his own Subjects and at the same time â—ost both his Life his Diadem and all the Wealth of â—â—â—sia But to return to our Subject During the Reign of King James France sent into England whole Legions of Monks and Jesuits under pretence of Propagating the Faith and to screw themselves into the most considerable Families of the Realm under pretence of Religion as also to assist this Unfortunate Prince to observe his Footsteps and dive into his secret Thoughts to the end he might not be able to avoid the Chains which the Court of France had prepar'd for him But now the Emissaries of France have alter'd their Language and whereas at that time they preach'd nothing to the English but Peace and Obedience there now they breath nothing but Fire and Flame Sedition and Murder where e're they come fomenting Rebellion in all parts of the Kingdom and ready once more to fire the City of London if they believ'd the Conflagration would contribute any thing to their wicked Designs The whole Policy and Craft of France is at a great Loss at this Conjuncture to find that all her Machinations against the Life of the King of England at present prosperously Reigning are still disappointed Nor is it less a bitter Choak-Pear to Lewis XIV the Proudest Monarch upon Earth to see himself at last constrain'd to acknowledge his Brittanick Majesty the Lawful Monarch of the Three Kingdoms and sue to him for Peace and all this after he had Vaunted before all the World that he would never lay down his Arms â—â—ll he had restor'd King James to his Throne not without a prophane and Daring Application of the words of God the Father to the Son Sit thou at my Right hand till I make thy Enemies thy Foot-stool Now after such a Bounce a man would think it should be a trouble to the Court of France to find her self constrain'd to dismiss this poor unfortunate Prince But there will be no such Thing For when Persons that have been profitable to the Court of France become once unserviceable she never scruples to send 'em packing in cold Blood 'T is true that she observes some Measures and lets yee know her Mind at first by Hints and indirect Whispers but if you do not understand her Mute Language and Dumb Signs she fails not to inform your Stupidity with plain and down-right Expressions it being a Maxim of the French Court never to love the Unfortunate But you 'l say what Benefit can accrue to Lewis XIV by keeping King James in France 't is not for the Benefit of his Counsel for he could never give or take any himself nor is it out of any heat of Concupiscence for the Queen of England for he has much handsomer and Prettier in his Seraglio of St. Cyr where Madam de Maintenon out of her Pious Care for several Years together has kept in good decorum a numerous Bevie of young handsome Ladies who are as it were so many Victims which she offers to the Divinity of Lewis the Great and though that Monarch had not that Reserve for his little Pleasures the Court is full of Coquetts and the Mothers are such Ninny-hammers as to carry their Daughters thither to try whether or no their good Fortune will advance 'em to the Embraces of that Great Monarch and all this in hopes to raise the drooping condition of their Family Insomuch that I have known some Parents condescend to that point of Panderism as to Lesson their Daughters and instruct 'em what they were to say and do in case the King should happen to take notice of ' em So that most assuredly it would not be to Queen Jemmykin that the Sultan of France would throw his Handkerchief unless it were with that Limitation that Alexander observ'd who refus'd to exercise at the Olympick Games unless he might have Kings for his Competitors And thus Lewis XIV grown more Great perhaps then formerly would have the World believe that he 'll no longer be a Gamester in the Sports of Love unless he may have Queens for the Objects of his Passion However the King grows old and therefore let us be so favourable to him as to believe that if the Court of France did entertain King James and all his Train at St. Germains 't was not for any Affection the French Monarch bare him but because the English Fugitive who generally feeds upon Chimera's fancy'd Himself and endeavour'd to perswade the Court of France that he had a Great Party in England not only all the Roman Catholicks but all the Fanaticks in the Kingdom That the Quaker Penn who indeed is no other then a Jesuit in Masquerade assur'd him of the Absolute Devotion of
that whole Sect to his Party and Service But the Court of France has been well inform'd that all these Assurances were meer Illusions seeing that neither Catholicks nor Quakers are admitted into the Parliament nor into any the meanest Offices in the Kingdom and that it would be a very difficult thing not to say an Impossibility to embody all those that go by the Name of Jacobites scatter'd up and down in several Parts of the Kingdom and for the most part known to be such Besides that we find that no sooner a Dozen of these Rebels meet together but they are presently discover'd a visible Sign of the Care that Divine Providence takes for the Preservation of their Brittanick Majesties and that the same Providence watches over 'em while they without intermission labour to settle the Government to protect the Nation against their Enemies and to re-advance the Honour of the British Name beyond what the Princes their Predecessors have done for several Ages There is no question to be made but that the King of France or his Council is very well inform'd of the Constitution of England and that it will be in vain for their Enemies to attempt any thing there so long as the King and his Parliament are united together as we find 'em at this Day Insomuch that this good Correspondence has furnish'd the King with powerful Supplies to oppose his Enemies both by Sea and Land tho' their Number were double to what it is at this Day For that so long as the English have a formidable Fleet upon their Coasts who shall be so daring as to attack ' em Not France I 'm sure Besides that if they can but come to grapple with their lurking Enemy the French would soon be constrain'd to quit their Coasts So that all things being consider'd there is nothing more for France to do but to give over the War with England for that unless they be Masters of the Sea their Trade is lost and they are absolutely ruin'd not being able to sell their Wines their Brandies and other Products of the Kingdom besides that they are forc'd to drein themselves of all their ready Money to pay the King's Subsidies with a number of Impositions and Taxes with which the Kingdom swarms And which is worst of all their Harvests having fail'd for Two Years together from whence shall they have Corn if they be not Masters of the Sea more especially being at War with the Hollanders and excluded out of Spain which has several times supply'd their Wants So that 't is no marvel that the French begin to be weary of the War especially with England and that he no longer observes any Measures with King James who at present resembles one of one those petty Saints to whom they will not put themselves to the trouble of lighting up a small Wax Candle because they neither cure any Diseases nor are able to make their Guardian 's Pot boil France has begun a War which she will not get quit of when she pleases her self Her Monarch has a long time acted Orlando Furioso and affronted both in Word and Deed a Prince that was not in a Condition to defend himself but now that Providence by a miraculous Conduct has plac'd the injur'd Prince upon the Brittish Throhe 't is not for the Court of France to think that God by his Providence has so highly exalted that Prince has conferr'd upon him the Government of several Kingdoms and Provinces and put so great a Power into the Hands of the only Prince that France is afraid of a Prince that has so well united the greatest part of the Princes of Europe in order to make a vigorous War against the common Enemy who by degrees has so largely usurp'd upon their Dominions and all this only to render more conspicuous the Honour of Lewis XIV as his Emissaries give out 'T is never to be believ'd and they that imagine it must be either void of Sence or be of the Number of those Phanaticks that have no more Wit then to adhere to King James But if France can get nothing by a War with England she may be much a loser considering the present Condition of her Affairs For should the English once happen to set Foot in France they have not forgot their Right to Normandy Guienne Poiton and Lunguedock When the English quitted Calais they promis'd the French Governour who came to take possession of it to return when their Sins were not so crying loud as those of the French At least the Court of France is not to believe that the English will let 'em alone in the quiet Possession of Dunkirk a Place that is no more the Patrimony of the Kings of France then Strasburgh They that sold both the one and the other of those Cities had no right to make the Bargain France treated with those that were under Age. Now we know that what an Infant Sells or Contracts for is lyable to be cancell'd Charles the Second had neither conquer'd nor purchas'd Dunkirk he found it annex'd to the Crown upon his return to his Kingdoms nor was it for him to sell it to satisfie the Avarice of his Chancellor So that the Kings his Predecessors have still an undeniable Right either to regain it by Force of Arms or recover it by Treaty of Peace with much more Equity and Justice then the Chamber of Metz can pretend to make Reunions to the Crown of France The words surrender back are doubtless very hard of Digestion to Lewis the Great who pretends at all times to be the only Person that can restore Peace to Europe and therefore he ought in the first place to understand what Restitution is The Greatest and Wisest of Kings assures us That Destruction presses close upon the Heels of the Proud and as I have already said Fortune grows weary of always carrying the same Prince upon her Back There are many Reasons why France should sink after all the Cruelties she has committed and which are not yet at an end People trail their Chains after 'em for some time without much complaint but 't is with a design to break 'em upon the first Opportunity and there is no question to be made but that if the English once set Foot ashore with their Prince at the Head of 'em but that the greatest part will receive him as their Deliverer And I dare be bold to affirm that there are at Present a Great Number in France who wish it and wait for their Deliverance and that there is hardly a Lord at Court or a Prince of the Blood who does not pray for the bringing down their Monarch and the Prosperity of the Confederates Armes The Race of Valois ended in France for less Crimes then those that Bourbon has committed But there is a precise Time appointed for humbling the Monarchs of the World conceal'd from Humane Knowledge and it is a Folly to go about to penetrate into a Secret which Divine
Constantinople for which France would not be a little Sorry But when these Projects of France were made known at the Ottoman Court and that the Grand Visier upbraided the Embassour with 'em he appeas'd the Prime Minister by telling him That what the Court of France had done in respect to that Affair was only to deceive his Enemies and to amuse 'em with Frivolous Offers on purpose to put a stop to their Preparations against the next Campaign and to make the People the more unwilling to contribute toward the War It may be some Persons well affected to France take this to be a Calumny and will not believe that the Most Christian King persuaded the Turk to break with the Christians But to convince 'em I shall here insert what past at the Pyrenean Treaty where Lewis XIV espous'd the Infanta of Spain renounc'd all the Pretensions which that Princess might have to Spain or the Low-Countries and consented with an Oath That if ever he Pretended to what he had renounced that his Pretension should be accounted Null and Void and that if he proceeded to force of Arms he besought all Princes and Free States observe the Expressions to repute it unlawful unjust and wickedly attempted a Piece of Tyrannical Vsurpation against Reason and Conscience This Protestation is to be met with in the Sixth Article of the Renunciation of the King of France belonging to the Pyrenaean Treaty in the Year 1660. Nevertheless we have seen how Lewis XIV brake this Peace so solemnly sworn in a few Years afterwards immediately upon the death of Philip IV. King of Spain on purpose to renew the renounc'd Pretensions of his Queen which have since cost so much Christian Blood and still are like to cost more before the Conclusion of the War These Things being consider'd all Men must be convinc'd that France fomented the War in Hungary that she encourag'd the Turks to besiege Vienna that she design'd the Dethroning of the Emperour and to have set up her Monarch Lewis the Great in his Place But she met with many Disappointments The Great Victories of the Christians the Conquest of Upper and Lower Hungary but above all the Taking of Belgrade together with the frequent Revolutions in the Ottoman Court ranvers'd all the Affairs of that Empire and then it was that all the Persuasions nor all the Promises nor Presents of the French could make any Impression upon the Turks all the Policy of the Court of France was reduc'd to this last Shift which was to persuade the Ottoman Port to continue the War but one Campaign more and then if the Face of Affairs did not alter but that their Misfortunes continu'd she would consent to a Truce such as the Turks should think fit to make This Expedient wrought well for the French For in the Year 1690. the Infidels re-took Belgrade by Assault which puff'd 'em up to a high degree Nor was it then a difficult thing to persuade 'em that their Misfortunes were at an end that Heaven was now going to punish the Emperour for refusing the Peace which they had offer'd him and that to second this happy beginning the King his Master or the Dauphin who was call'd the Young Sultan at the Port would come in Person with a numerous Army and make a Considerable Diversion upon the Rhine But in regard the Turks have never yet seen any Effects of these Mighty Promises the French Embassadour is forc'd from time to time to bear the Brunt of most bloody Reproaches from the Lips of the Grand Visier and to endure many a rugged Storm without going to Sea And the least affront put upon him is that of Dog That his Master is a man of no Faith and worse then a Christian and that if he does not keep his Word for the future the Port will make a Truce with the Emperour and leave him to himself But these are Reprimands which the French never boast of and the Embassadour has Flegm enough to stay till the Tempest be over and never to return to the Charge with his Flamms and Excuses till the first firing be over and that the Grand Visier's Fury be abated and then with new Presents he makes fresh Promises and like the Children promises to do better next time A sad Conjuncture for a Monarch who believes himself to be the first and greatest in the World and ranks himself like Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great in the Number of the Gods to be forc'd to such mean Submissions and to suffer continual Affronts and Reproaches from an Infidel to preserve the Friendship and Assistance of the Turks But this is now the Depth of the Policy of France rather to Cringe and Creep and become a kind of Tributary to the Ottoman Port then to make Restitution of what he has usurp'd from the Christians rather to allow Liberty of Conscience to the Turks then to the Huguenots And this I have been assur'd that Chasteauneuf the French Embassadour not knowing one day which way to appease the Grand Visier offer'd him that Liberty in his Masters Name and that he should give leave to the Turks to erect Mosquees at Tholoun and Marseilles The same Offers have also been made to the Governour of Algiers in any place of Bretaigne that he should make choice of provided he would send his Men of War into St. George's Channel to rob the English and Hollanders And if these Offers did not take Effect 't was because the Grand Signior stood in need of the Algerines to serve against the Venetians and re-inforce his Fleet in the Levant Nevertheless these Offers fail'd not to work with the Grand Mufti who like the Romish Ecclesiasticks loves the Propagation of his Faith and the Free Exercise of his Religion and who being sweeten'd up withall by some Considerable Present openly declar'd for the French Sultan But as submissive as France is yet a while to her Ally that she may preserve his Friendship you shall see that he will leave him in the Lurch and deliver him up a Prey to the Emperour so soon as he can find a way to make Peace with the Confederates And then that Separation would infallibly beget a War between the two Sultans were the Turk in a condition to revenge himself However his want of Strength to commence a War will not hinder him from loading the French Merchants that reside in his Dominions with Terrible Oppressions and so the poor Merchants must pay for the Infidelity of their Monarch But the Court of France never troubles her Head about That provided she can but compass her own Ends. And for the Obtaining of those she will never Spare for the Blood or Estates of her own Subjects nor did she ever value the Lives and Liberties of so many poor Christians as have been sacrific'd during this War with the Turk to the Ambition of Lewis the Great But we are now ascending if we can to the Pinacle of French Policy so