Numb. 8.The main title changes to A REVIEW OF THE Affairs of FRANCE with the publication of Numb. 8. The subtitle continues to read: Purg’d from the Errors and Partiality of News-Writers and Petty-Statesmen, of all Sides. The title retains this wording through the end of the first volume, closing with Numb. 102, published February 24, 1705. The Review changes titles again with the publication of Vol. 2, Numb. 1, on February 27, 1705. At that point the main title remains the same, but the subtitle becomes With some Observations on TRANSACTIONS at Home, a reflection of the Review’s trend towards domestic topics.
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OUR last broke off at the Beginning of the March of the Germans, who encamp’d the first Night 22 Miles from the French Army, and making but a short stop, continued advancing for three days together, without halting or refreshing their Men.
The Duke de Vendosme immediately address’d himself to follow them, and with his usual Expedition was in full March with 18000 Men the next day by Noon; and this must pass with Men of Judgment for very great Dispatch.
We need not trouble the World with the History of this March, which is to be found in Our Gazetts, and will, no doubt, be transmitted to Posterity in all the Histories of the Times, as the greatest Action of the Age, How 16000 Men with their Cannon and Carriages, with a more numerous Army at their Heels, march’d in the Depth of Winter, in a wet rainy Season, thro’ a deep dirty and almost impassable Country, where in many Places they were fain to draw their Cannon by strength of hand, compass’d about with Enemies, Garrisons, and several strong Bodies posted in their Front, at all the Passes and Places of Advantage.
Thro’ all these Difficulties and Hazards they mov’d on with incredible and unparallel’d Expedition; and had it not been for the Breaking of a Bridge at passing the Bornia, they had never so much as been fought with in their Way. The Brush they had there was inconsiderable, and no way impeded their March; Till at last having travers’d the Cremonese and Milanese, and march’d above 200 Miles, they join’d the Duke of Savoy’s Forces on the Frontiers, brought with them 1500 Prisoners, and Hostages for three Millions in Contributions.
We believe even the Duke de Vendosme himself would not be angry if he should read this Paper, and hear us give due Encomiums to an Action so great tho’ perform’d by his Enemy; and the French themselves, such of them as are Men of Service, and Men of Honour, will allow it [46] to be a Mastership of Bravery and Conduct, and as happily perform’d, as gallantly“gallant-” in HRC 1, HRC 2, and Secord. The word appears at the end of a line of text. It seems clear the printer left out “ly” at the beginning of the next line. undertaken.
This Expedition has very much chang’d the Face of Affairs on that Side; and the French, who before insulted the Duke at the Gates of Verceil, are oblig’d to quit their Winter-Quarters in the Duke’s Dominions, and give the Germans leave to take up theirs in the Montserin and Milanese, and to raise Contribution within three Leagues of the City of Milan.
Nor is this the only Effect of this surprizing Action; for we find the Swiss Cantons much easier to be treated with for raising Assistance for the Duke of Savoy, and we find them treating with the French, concerning the Neutrality of Savoy and Chablais, in Terms much differing from the Language they us’d before. So certainly shall People and States, as well as private Men, have more Friends in their prosperous Circumstances, than they had before.
Thus I have gone thro’ the Circumstances of Savoy; They that think I have dwelt too long upon this Story, and consequently don’t like it, are desir’d to bear with it, for the sake of those that do.
Here we find the French Affairs under some Difficulties, and this is not Improperly call’d the Weakest part of their Power.
And yet even here we find them still upon the Offensive; they don’t seem to show the Sence their Affairs have of the Alteration here, by the Consequences. They supply themselves with Recruits, Amunition, &c. by Sea, and prepare with great Assurance for a Vigorous Campaign, having a free Communication with their Fleet by Genoa and the Port of Final; whose fault that is, I refer to another Chapter.
It cannot be pass’d over without Observation, and some Regret, at the Emperor’s present Misfortune; who, If he were but in a Condition to supply his Army on the Secchia with 10000 Men, has the fairest Opportunity to Distress the Duke de Vendosme on that side, that has ever been offer’d him this War, or perhaps that may ever come in his way again. For the French, who have now Count Starembergh, and the Duke of Savoy in their Reer, and who have thereby been forc’d to face about to Protect the Milaneze, would soon, by such a Power, be obliged to Divide their Army, or quit all they Possess in the Countries of Modena, Mantua, Parma, and Cremona.
We have now taken a Circumference round the Invincible Frontiers of France, and given the World a short View of their formidable Power.
There remains some further Enquiry into this Prodigious Monarchy, in Order to finish this Chapter: We are not insensible of the Genius and Temper of our English Readers, who are not over-stock’d with Patience in Books, and do not love a long Story, let it be never so well told; and the Author of these Papers, has been more than once ask’d, even by such as pretend themselves very well pleas’d with the Design, When shall you have done with this Head? and what do you go on next?
To which he Replies, by telling you a short Story: An English Gentleman was Viewing the Duke of Bavaria’s Chamber of Rarities at Munich; as fast as ever the Person that show’d him any thing, had open’d it, and began to tell him what it was, instead of expressing himself pleas’d at what he saw, he continually Answered, Encore, Encore, again, or what’s next: At last he show’d him an extraordinary pair of Globes, and began to read him a Lecture of Geography; but still the English Man was Interrupting him, Et bien Monsieur, Encore, i.e. Very well Sir,“Very, well Sir” in HRC 1, HRC 2, and Secord; this is an example of one of the rare cases in which we will amend punctuation. what next; the Man seem’d a little concern’d, as if he banter’d him, and return’d Icy le Monde, apre le Diable; Here’s all the World, and after that to the Devil.
The short Application is only to demand of the Reader a Competence of Patience, to the needful length of the Story.
But that I may, for the Author from hence speaks in the first Person, treat the Reader with more Manners, than the Bavarian did the Gentleman, I shall Anticipate the Enquiry a little, by letting the World know the Heads of what is behind, that they may judge whether, the Magnitude of this Story considered, I ought to be too brief in laying the Foundation.
I am therefore to acquaint you, that this Article of the French Grandeur, is further to be Trac’d into these Particulars.
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1. Their extraordinary Methods of Governing their own Subjects, in which Article I shall have occasion to speak of the Cevennois.
2. The Condition of their Frontiers, in which I shall of Course be lead to a Geographical Account of the Situation of the Country.
3. The Condition of their Coasts.
4. The Posture of their Foreign Plantations.
When these Heads have been laid before the Reader, with as much brevity as possible, I shall conclude this Section, and proceed to the Second, Viz. to Examine the Methods by which the French have raised themselves to be thus the Terror of Europe.
And if in the search after this, it should come to my turn to speak of the Faux-pa’s, and Mistakes of some of the Princes of Europe, as things which have more Contributed to the French Power, than all their own good Conduct; I can’t promise that I shall pass by our own.
This Paper will for the Future be Publish’d every Tuesday and Saturday.
Mercure Scandale:
O R,
ADVICE from the Scandalous CLUB:
THo’ the News-Writers have had a Months time given them to stand upon their Behaviour, as to Publick Affairs; yet on an extraordinary occasion, the Author of the London Post was obliged to appear before them; for that he in Contempt of the Authority of the Principal Magistrate, had placed an Advertisement of a Book, Entitled, The Universal Jester, close by his Account of my L–d M–’s Order, for Reforming the Exchange hours, and Regulating the Abuses of those Sons of the Fraudulent, the Stock Jobbers.
The Author told them, the thing was Casual and Undesign’d, and claim’d not to be Censured by Inuendo.
This being not allow’d to be a just excuse, because such Improprieties were Scandalous, and not to be pass’d over without more Care; They were proceeding in Order to Register him in the Book of Scandal: when desiring to be heard, He ask’d the Society if they would excuse him, on an Ingenuous Confession of the Matter?
This, on a Debate, was agreed to; whereupon he told them, That in reading my L–d M–’s Order, and Reflecting how the like Orders of former Magistrates had been observ’d; he plac’d his Book of Jests by the side of it, to signify, That this Order must stand for a Jest, till we see succeeding Magistrates follow the present Example.
This Ingenuous Confession so well pleas’d the Society, that they clear’d the Fellow, and Order’d the Act it self should stand Registred, on Condition of being cross’d out again, when it has been put in Execution, according to Order, Twelve Months.
There was a very Solemn hearing before the Club, on an unusual Case; A Gentleman of Quality, and who obtained leave to appear by Proxy, was Cited to Answer to a most Scandalous Crime, and very near to Blasphemy; for Drinking a Health to Jesus Christ: The Person that appear’d for him, own’d the Fact, and pretended to Justify it; this amaz’d the whole Board, and they bid him go on.
He told them, that he would prove it Lawful from the Practice of the Church of England; and Demanded their Patience to hear him.
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And first he ask’d them, If the Church of England was a true Church of Christ? And being Answered in the Affirmative, he then told them, the Church of Christ is often stil’d in Scripture, The Spouse of Christ, and pull’d out his Bible to prove it; but they told him, that was needless, for ’twas known and allow’d.
The Gentleman ask’d them then, if it was not as Lawful to drink a Health to the Husband as to the Wife, since an Eminent Clergy-man had been Prosecuted by his Diocesan, for Refusing to drink a health to the Church of England?
The Society readily took the hint, and Resolv’d.
That to drink such Healths is Scandalous to the Christian Religion; a Reproach to the Nation; contrary to the Practice of Protestant Sobriety, an Encouragement of Debauchery, an Extream of Profaneness, and Borders upon Blasphemy.
The Resolve being Enter’d in the Books of the Society; an Humble Address was Ordered to be made to his – to Beseech his –, That he would be pleased to Discourage such a Scandalous Practice, by all Legal Methods, and particularly by his – Example.
Resolv’d, That this Address be Presented to – by the Society, for Reformation of Manners.
ADvertisements are taken in at reasonable Rates, by J. Matthews, in Pilkington-Court in Little-Britain.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S.
Books Printed and Sold by Jeffery Wale, at the Angel in St. Paul’s-Church-Yard, London.
VIRI Cl. Andreæ Taqueti Elementa Geometriæ à Guil. Whiston, 8vo.– Geo. Baglivi Praxis Medica, ad priscam observandi rationem revocanda, Libri duo, 8vo. – Epigrammatum Delectûs ex omnibus tum Veteribus, tum Recentioribus, accuratè decerptus, quibus hâc sextâ Editione subjungitur alterius Delectûs Specimen ex nuperis maxime Poetis ab electoribus prætermissis. In usum Scholæ Ætonensis, 12o.
EUsebius Pamphilus his Ten Books of Ecclesiastical History, Faithfully Translated and Abridg’d from the Original. By Samuel Parker, Gent. To which is prefix’d, a Dissertation concerning the Use and Authority of Ecclesiastical History: By the Author of the Snake in the Grass. In a Letter to the Abridger. Wherein is plainly prov’d, That the Opinions of Coward, Asgill, &c. are old and exploded Heresies in Eusebius. With the Life of Eusebius abstracted from the best Authors. Also an Account of his Works. And a large Index of the Memorable Persons, &c. mentioned in the Abridgment. London, Printed for George Sawbridge, at the Three Flour-de-Luces, in Little-Britain. 1703.
THe Antidote; or, The Remedy of the Diseases of the Sick, and of the present Practice. The Natural Powers are asserted, to Conquer the greatest part of Distempers, assisted with few, cheap, tho’ the best Medicines: The Practicing Apothecaries oppress, hazard, or destroy the Sick, by paying themselves the greatest Fees, by the great Numbers of Costly Doses of their Physick. The College can only prevent this Infatuation and Danger of the Publick; Demonstrating the just Proportions, and the usual Rates of the Shop Remedies, which may be sold to all Customers, who know by their own Experience the Quantities they want. By R. Pitt, M.D. Fellow and Censor of the College of Physicians, and Fellow of the Royal Society, and Physician of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. Printed for John Nutt, near Stationers-Hall. 1704.
+++ A Doctor in Physick Cures all the Degrees and Indispositions in Venereal Persons, by a most easie, safe, and expeditious Method; and of whom any Person may have Advice, and a perfect Cure, let his or her Disease be of the longest Date. He likewise gives his Advice in all Diseases, and prescribes a Cure. Dr. HARBOROUGH, (a Graduate Physician) in Great Knight-Riders-street, near Doctors Commons.
MDCCIV.