Numb. 3.
[17]
WE promis’d at the Conclusion of the last Paper, some Account of the Prospect of Affairs relating to the next Campaign, as a further Description of the French Greatness.
We shall Endeavour to say nothing of the French Greatness with the Air of a French Emissary; and leave as little room as possible for the Charge of Partiality; If the French Grandeur is at present the Terrour of Europe, ’tis a most Natural Consequence, that the Prodigy of the Growing Power of France is an awakening Wonder, ’tis a Text fruitful in Application, and the Consequences very useful.
’Tis true, This Age is apt to make wrong Inferences, and we are Content they should believe what they please of this Design, till the Event proves whether we are in the wrong, [18] either in making Things appear greater than they are, or in drawing abrupt and inconsistent Conclusions.
We have already given a short Scheme of the Conclusion of the last Campaign: As the French began the Campaign when the Confederates ended it, they now prepare in all Places to end it about the Time when the Confederates begin.
Were not the Affairs of the present War too Solemn and too Dangerous a Thing to Jest with, I could make my self Merry with the most ridiculous Histories we have in our Historical News-Mongers, Monthly Accounts, View of the World, &c. not omitting the most Voluminous Author of the Post-Man, with his Outlandish Observations, in which the French are so continually treated with the Language which we think will please the World, that the Greatness of the French Nation must be so much the more pleasing, by how much the Expectations of the People have been abus’d into a Belief that they were easie to be reduced.
I need not repeat, that if the French were so easie to be reduc’d, it must reproach the Confederate Conduct, that we have not yet brought it to pass.
I shall not add to their real Greatness, the Boasts of a Paraphrase, and fall in with their own Humour by way of Rhodomontade to make them look greater than they are; but the end of this Paper is to set our Enemies in their proper Light, Examine their Condition, and represent them to our view, just as they really are, Stating their Magnitude in its proper Dimensions, that as the Devil may not appear so Black as he is painted, so he may be really painted no Whiter than he is.
’Tis hard that there should be any need of an Apology for telling the Truth, if our Enemies are so very inconsiderable, that we think them fit for our Banter, and Expose them in Ballads and Lampoon. For God sake, Gentlemen, Beat them, Subdue them, Conquer them, Bring them down, Force them to a Peace, Force them to Restore what they have Torn from the rest of the World, Oblige them to keep the Bounds of Treaties and Leagues, whether of Partition or otherwise.
If this be not done — What shall we say! Are they too Great for us, or are we in the Wrong?
[19]
The present Affairs of the War lie now before us, and after all we shall say, it shall please us beyond Expression to have it appear, at the end of the Campaign, that the French are not so considerable as this Paper describes.
At the end of the last Year, we were told, The French King had given Orders for the Raising 50000 Recruits: Our Gentlemen that deal in Print, and Sell us what News they please, told us this Truth, but made it a Thing next to an Impossibility that he should find the Men.
If these Men were willing, or capable of telling us how large the Dominions of the French are, how full of People, and what Regularities their Government is under as to Raising of Men, they would not have the face to tell us, that it was not easie for them to raise them.
The Case of the Confederates, and the French, differ in this Material Point, That if the Confederates can find Men they never want Money; with the French, That if the King can find Money he will never want Men.
To Search the Matter farther, If the French King ordered 50000 Recruits, ’tis Apparent he has found the Men, since it appears that there are 15000 Recruits ready, and some of them already Landed at Final for the Army in Italy; 15000 more are allow’d to be ready for the Army in Bavaria, and to be joyn’d with 15000 of the Old Troops, to break through the Black Forest into Bavaria.
If 30000 new rais’d Men are thus set apart for those two pieces of Services, as by all our Accounts appear, I leave it to any Man that understands the Affairs of Europe, to judge what Number of Recruits are needful to keep full the Regiments in all other Parts of the French Service; and since we do not find they are any where wanting in the needful Numbers of Men, the Consequences are plain, that all the dismal Stories of the Poverty and Depopulation of the Country, which our Papers have been full of, cannot be true.
And if we are Deceiv’d in that, we shall also be Deceiv’d in the great want of Money we charge the French with; since we see they find a way to make their Armies live at the Expence of their Enemies, or their own Conquer’d Countries.
[20]
In the first Articles of next Years Preparation, we find the King of France ready to find an Overplus of Assistance for his Grandson of Spain; The Spaniard, a Slothful and Impoverisht Nation, would be in a very Indifferent Condition of Defence, were it not for the Effect of the present Management; but under French Conduct they out-do themselves.
On the Approach of the Confederate Assistance, and a New King of Spain, the French King who never leaves himself open, took Care to be as forward as his Enemies; ’Tis true, God Almighty has seem’d to Change Sides in this Cause, and by the Violence of two unusual Tempests, drove them twice back, by which the Matter has been Delay’d till the French are as forward as the Confederates.
In the approaching War, tho’ the Spaniards are able to Contribute little to themselves, we find the French, more put to it to consider what sort of Troops will please the Spaniards, than where to find Men to supply them with, to bring this Surly Nation to be Content with them.
The French King has two Capital Enemies to Fight with in Spain, besides the Confederate Forces.
The haughty Male-Content Nobility, and the Natural Aversion of the Spaniards to the French, this last makes it very necessary to make the Assistance of the French suitable and acceptable to the Spaniard; and to make this tollerable, they are prettily Cheated with Troops from Flanders, Milan, and Naples, at the same time these Regiments are fill’d up with French Officers, under the Title of Walloons, and Foreigners of all Nations are chosen, especially Irish, Flemings, and Scots.
By this French Fineness of Management, the Spaniards have a French Army and no French Army, they have the Substance and not the Name: The Generals are as wisely Chosen as the Troops, Tserclas de Tilly is a Prince that has always been in the Service of Spain in the Netherlands, and is of the Family and Name of John Tserclas, Count de Tilly, the Old Famous General in the Spanish and Imperial Armies, who was never beaten till the terrible Sacking of Magdeburgh seem’d to ripen him and his Army for the Terrour of Europe; but being met by Divine Vengeance, they were entirely overthrown by Gustavus Adolphus the King of Sweden, at the [21] Battle of Leipsick; the Off-Spring of this Gallant Man, is now the General of the French Auxilliaries, and to them is joyn’d the Duke of Berwick, as a General of the Irish, a Nation always acceptable to the Spaniards.
In this method of proceeding, the French prepare to face us in Spain, the King of France has supplied them with two extraordinary Trains of Artillery, with Ammunition and Stores in proportion, and has remitted a Million and 200000 Crowns to Sevil for the Pay of the Army.
Thus the Spaniards, under French Management, seem to threaten us that if we do not follow the Blow with more Vigour than usual, they may chance in one Age to revive the Antient Military Glory of the Spanish Infantry, which in the Days of the Dukes d’Alva and Parma were the best Troops in the World.
Is this instance of the Power of France, a full Demonstration of their being near a Reduction? No Prince spares his Money, and his Troops, to assist another, who is in any Danger or Fear of being Overcome himself: If the King of France can spare 15000 Men, a Train of Artillery, Magazines of Arms and Ammunition, and send 300000 Pistoles beforehand to Pay them; It’s but a bad sign that we have reduc’d him to a prospect of Compliance.
Alsace Groans under the present Weight of French Troops, the Numerous Legions of his Army hover over the German Frontiers, and threaten a suddain Storm: We find all our Accounts from Mentz, Franckfort, Rhinfield, Trareback, Coblentz; from the Moselle to the Borders of the Swiss on the Upper Rhine, this black Cloud is seen, and no Man knows where the Thunderbolt will fix.
Philipsburgh expects a Siege before the Confederates can be in the Field; Mentz, Coblentz, Bon, and Rhinfield, are in equal Apprehensions of Danger; Nor is there any where a proportion’d appearance of a Force to Relieve the Place which that shall be Attack’d.
At the same time this may be doing, they pretend to be strong enough to force their way through the Black Forest into Bavaria, and have an Army ready in the Upper Alsace for that purpose.
[22]
In the mean time, the Power they have in on the Danube Ravages all Swabia, and in Conjunction with the Bavarians, threaten Germany with such vast Preparations for a Seige, that Nortlingen, Lints, and Saltsburgh, are in daily Expectation of seeing their powerful Armies under their Walls; Nurembergh Solicites the Protection of the King of Prussia, and even Vienna it self hears the Bavarians talk of Assaulting her.
I cannot believe but I am within the compass of Modesty, and of the Reason of the thing, if I say, ’tis very probable, the Effects of all these vast Projects will show themselves before the Month of March goes over.
Nor can I help taking notice, That what ever they attempt within the compass of March and April, I am sorry to say it, there’s no probability of their being disappointed, the Germans do not pretend to be forward enough to take the Field with any extraordinary Force, at least in time; so that if the Accounts we have are true, of the Power and Forwardness of the French, the Campaign must begin to the loss of the Confederates.
The next Paper shall end this Melancholly Account of the Greatness of our Enemies; and after having troubl’d the World with some necessary Consequences of these Observations, we shall Examine the Forces, the Strength, and the Conduct of the Confederates; and if we do offer at some probability of Rectification, and draw some such Observations as are just in this Case, with what Caution we think necessary, we perswade our selves, the World will not think their time ill Spent in Reading it.
[23]
Mercure Scandale:
O R,
ADVICE from the Scandalous CLUB:
BEING,
A Weekly History of Nonsense, Impertinence,
Vice and Debauchery.
THis Club having been very full of Business for a Month or two past, we are oblig’d to refer the Abstract of their Proceedings to a Short Abridgement, which shall Supply the Place of long Particulars, because we are not willing to omit the Case of the News-Writers, as it stands in the Journals of the Society according to our promise in our last.
The Writer of the Gazette being first in Quality, was Call’d in and Examin’d: He was Charg’d with Reproaching the Government, for that he who Writes by Authority should presume to Write Nonsense, was a Reflection upon the Authority that Employ’d him; and to make out the Charge, he was Ordered to make Sence of the following Paragraph.
[Count Starembergh marching through the Milanese to joyn the Duke of Savoy, met 200 French Horse near Brono, whom they either kill’d or took Prisoners, except 43 who escaped, and all the rest were kill’d upon the spot.] [Gazette, Feb. 14. 1703.]
The Gentlemen would ha’ laid the Fault upon the Printer, but it was plain ’twas no Errour of the Press, so he was oblig’d to Answer one of these two Questions.
1. If the whole Sentence were put into Latin, Which would be the principle Verb?
2. If the Matter of Fact be true, How many of the French Horse were taken Prisoners?
But being not able to give a satisfactory Answer to either of these Questions, he withdrew; and the Court considered, that being a Publick Officer, he should be Civily us’d, he was Ordered to receive a Reprimand from the Director of the Club, and be Dismis’d on his Parole of Amendment.
[24]
The Authors of the English Post were brought before the Club, and had a long Hearing, their Charge being tedious.
First, They told the World, Feb. 16. 1703. [That Novara in Milan, was threatned with a Siege as soon as the Mountains were clear of the Snow.]
Upon this they were ask’d, If they had any Meaning or no Meaning, and if the latter, What they Meant by it — And when that time would happen that the Mountains of the Alps should be clear of the Snow.
In the same Paper they tell us, [The Duke de Vendosme intends to fill up his Regiments with Vagabonds of all Nations.]
Here they were ask’d the following Questions:
1. How the Duke de Vendosme, who is now Enclos’d within the Milanese, Mantuan, and part of three other small Countries, should come at such a number of Vagabonds of all Nations?
2. Whether the Regiments were made up of any thing else before?
3. Whether all Italy cou’d Supply him with Vagabonds enough?
Ditto Paper.] [General Fremont threatned the Inhabitants of the Dutchy of Modena, on the Frontiers of France, with Fire and Sword.]
Here being ask’d, If any part of Modena was within 400 Miles of the Frontiers of France? they honestly pleaded Guilty, and said, They did not know.
Ditto Paper.] [They say the Boors of Tyrol had plundered a rich Monastery call’d Bavaria.]
Being ask’d, Where that Monastery Stood? They could not tell: So the Map of the Country being laid before them, they were Ordered to find it out; but being not able to find it, the Club came to this Resolve.
That they were a Triumvirate of Book-selling, Nonsense-Writing, Ignorant, News-Merchants, and were Entred in the Books upon Record, never to be cross’d out till some Coxcombs are brought before the Society for giving any heed to what they Write, and so may stand Recorded for greater Blockheads than themselves.
Memorandum, It should ha’ been the Monastery of Closter Beyeren in Bavaria.
For the rest of the Proceedings we refer to our next.
Printed for the Booksellers of London and Westminster. 1704.