Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A36728
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A panegyrick to the memory of His Grace Frederick, late Duke of Schonberg ... by H. de Luzancy ...; Abbregé de la vie de Frédéric duc de Schomberg. English
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De Luzancy, H. C. (Hippolyte du Chastelet), d. 1713.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing D2417A; ESTC R4165
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11,362
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42
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MONTECVCVLIS the TVRENNES the CONDES that is the CAESARS of our Age. He had a Robust and Strong Body capable of the greatest Hardships He was Naturally Active a great lover of Exercise Healthful and Temperate to Admiration He neither Courted nor Fear'd Danger ever Himself ever Fortunate ever preventing the worst and Surmounting the greatest Difficulties He would not presume to Command before he knew perfectly how to Obey He began by the smallest charge of the Army and ow'd his Advancement neither to the advantage of his Quality being then Count of the Holy Empire or to the Credit of his Friends but to his own Personal Merit He did not Court but Command his Advancement and so distinguish'd himself as to fix the eyes of Europe upon him and perswade the World that he had no Obstacle but his Religion to the greatest Honour that France could give him But omitting the particular account of what he did in an Inferiour Station as that that would change a Panegyrick into History and swell a Discourse into a Volume we shall only praise what seems most considerable Thus laying aside Bourbourg then a most important place to the French defended by the DUKE against two powerful Armies which he forc'd by his Conduct to Raise the Siege and the tedious Wars of Rousillon What more Glorious or Successful What more Wise and Fortunate than the business of Portugal That Kingdom had fallen into the hands and remain'd some years under the Command of Spain A happy Conspiracy if that Name can be given to the Asserting the Liberties and securing the Throne of a Nation broke at last the fatal Yoke But the grief of losing the Fruit of an Usurpation to which time had given the face of a good Title rais'd the Fury and stirr'd up the whole Power of the Spaniards Besides the Natural Strength of that People who are generally Brave and Great they had Peace with France They were easily perswaded that their united Forces would quickly oblige their Enemy to return to their Obedience Thus they pour'd their vast Armies into the very Bowels of Portugal and had almost put a period to the War and to that strange Revolution It was then and not before that the Duke was sent to Command what Forces the Distressed Portugueses could make His Name rais'd their drooping Spirits His Valour made 'em Brave and his Conduct Wise He retook their Towns and beat their Enemies in all the Rencounters he had with them He overcame them in several Battels But in the last wherein Don Juan of Austria had receiv'd vast Reinforcements from Spain and was resolved either to perish or secure that Country to his King who had been at so vast an Expence of Blood and Treasure to preserve it He Defeated him so absolutely that he never appear'd more The Spaniard was forc'd to accept of a Peace which before the Duke's coming he could not be prevail'd upon to grant to Treat with those he had call'd Rebels as with his Equals and to acknowledge Portugal a Free and an Independent Kingdom All Europe was amaz'd at this The Poets and Orators fill'd the World with his Praises France who is equitable to none but those whom they think will advance their Interests was just to him in that point Lewis the Invincible who shall be so till William the Third can meet him in the Field sent to offer him the Baston of Mareschal de France a Dignity which is to this day the greatest Reward of Merit in Christendom as Ancient as that Monarchy and never paid but to Eminent Services But indeed it was offer'd on a Condition which the Duke rather than accept would have forfeited all the Glory of his past Life It was desir'd of him that he would leave the Religion of his Ancestors and be of that of the Prince who employ'd him This was urg'd with all the earnestness imaginable and such Insinuations added to it as would have shaken the constantest Man But oh the Power of Honour and Religion oh the Resolution of a setled Mind The Duke answer'd the King That he thought himself extremely unhappy that his Majesty should have so ill an Opinion of him as to think that all that is Great in the World could make him change his Religion That if upon such low Motives he abandon'd the Service of the God of his Fathers he should deserve the scorn of all Men and in particular of his Majesty And that he who was not true to God could never be faithful to his Prince Thus he declin'd the Splendid Offer and shew'd a Soul that was proof against the most pressing Temptations of Mankind But his Merit a short time after forc't that Dignity from their hands The vast Designs of France made them dispence with their Bigottry They were sensible that those Men carry'd Success and Victory at their heels That King then sent him the BASTON without any other condition than that of serving his Prince and could but admire his Generosity equal to a Great Man of the same time in all other parts but much greater in this that the other was overcome lost first his Religion and shortly after his Fortune with his Life CATALONIA and FLANDERS saw him with this increase of Honour In the one he represt the Insolence of the Spaniard In the other he laid the foundation of those Conquests which like a rapid stream did since overrun the Spanish Netherlands He oblig'd the Heroe of this Age to raise the Siege of Maestrick when nothing but a Surrender was expected His vast Skill in Military Affairs made the Souldier bold and secure under him No attempt seem'd difficult if but done by his Command He was the Love as well as the Terror of his Enemies For no General was ever so averse from Violence even against those he had vanquisht The War was never with him what it is now with some Generals the other side of the Sea where burning of Towns laying a whole Country in Ashes and sparing neither Age nor Sex is lookt on as a great commendation to Posterity The furious Zeal of the common Disturbers of Mankind I mean the Jesuits having rais'd a violent Persecution against the French Protestants The Duke was involv'd in their Fate and forc'd to leave a Service so highly Honour'd Advanc'd and Oblig'd by him His Great Soul would not suffer him so much as to complain He was mov'd with every bodies loss but his own and pity'd those unfortunate Counsels which depriv'd a Prince of so many of his best Subjects His Imperial Majesty had some thoughts to offer him the Command of his Armies But this was soon obstructed by the Jesuits Faction a sort of Men whom it is even dangerous for Crown'd Heads to disoblige Several other Princes courted him to their Dominions His Duty carry'd him to the late Elector of BRANDENBOVRGH a Wise a Religious a Brave and a Fortunate Prince ENGLAND then began to be distracted not with Fears and Jealousies but real