Saturday, May 27. 1704.

Numb. 24.
[109]

SInce so long, yet I hope not unprofitable Digression, relating to the French Grandeur, some of which every days News informs us, is too true; ’Tis time to let the Reader know, we do not forget the Connexion of the Story, and that it remains to consider the Grandeur of this Monarch, by Sea.

Something of this Nature has already been touch’d at, when I was Enquiring by what Methods the King of France furnish’d himself with Seamen; but to proceed regularly in this Case, it may not be amiss to Examine when, and how he has improved his Naval Power.

We find in the Reign of Lewis XIII. Cardinal Richlieu saw the great Deficiency of the French in this Matter; for the Rochellers, strong in Shipping, and supplied from England with Stores, grew so very formidable, that they spread the Seas with a Fleet of 35 Sail of Men of War, which made Prize of all the Roman Catholick Ships, ruin’d the Trade, and Enrich’d themselves to admiration: For as the King had no Fleet able to Encounter them, they Imploy’d themselves not only in Defence of themselves, but rov’d over the narrow Seas as Privateers, and by this Means kept themselves in a Posture able to Match the King, and to support their Forces by Land; and an Instance of this is found in the Histories of those Times, in the Year 1625.

Seven of the King’s biggest Ships lay at Blavet, a Port of Bretaign, not far from Rochel; Soubize, the Admiral of the Rochellers, Attack’d ’em, took fix of ’em, and carried them into Rochel, in spight of all the Fire from the great Batteries on the Shoar.

This Advantage was so considerable, that the Author of the Life of Cardinal Richlieu says, this occasion’d the Peace with the Rochellers, which immediately follow’d. During this Peace, the French joyn’d with the Duke of Savoy, made that most Ridiculous and Fruitless Expedition against the City of Genoa, where they came back with loss and dishonour enough, especially considering the weakness of the Genoese, who had not 6000 Men in their whole State, but in short the Duke Trifled away his Time at the Siege of Gavi, till the Spaniards brought Relief into Genoa, with a Fleet of 40 Galleys, and till the Spanish Army, under the Duke of Feria came down from Millan, fell upon their Rear, and chased them with shame out of all they had gotten from the Genoese.

The Reason of telling this short Story of an Expedition by Land, when I am Treat-[110]ing of the Naval Affairs, is this; The King of France had not then Power enough at Sea to Attack Genoa, as they have since Effectually done, with but a small Squadron; but to do this, hired 20 Men of War of the Dutch, and 6 of the English.

’Tis true, Cardinal Richlieu put a Trick upon the Dutch and English too, and instead of Employing them against the Genoese, Employed them against the Rochellers, and so brought the Protestant Fleets to Ruin their Brethren. But Soubize met with the Dutch, for he came bravely out of Port and fought them all, burnt 6 of the King of France’s fleet, sunk 3 of the Hollanders, and burnt their Vice-Admiral, and three more of the French Men of War in the next Fight were thus destroy’d, being all grappled close on board a Rocheller, the obstinate Captain finding, as the Historian tells, he could never die more to his Enemies Damage, refused Quarter, and setting fire to his Powder, blew himself up, and those 3 Vessels with him.

’Tis true, a few days after this, the French Fleet joyn’d with the English and Dutch, beat the Rochellers, and took 9 of their Vessels, after a most obstinate Fight, much to the Honour of the three Nations; it was Two Troopers and a Dragoon beat a little Boy: Three Confederate Fleets, of three Potent Nations, against one oppress’d City; and much for the Honour of the English and Dutch Protestants, who thus suppress’d that Power which would have upheld the Protestant Interest in France, and which all the Naval Force of the French was not able to engage with.

I know no better Period to fix the Weakness of the French Naval Power at, than here, since this is not yet 80 Years ago, and all the World cannot shew an Increase of such a Magnitude in so short a time.

From this Success of the French against themselves, for the Protestants of Rochel were still a part of themselves, the next Instance of their Naval Strength, was at the Siege of Rochel.

Here, for want of Ships, they could never make any thing of the Siege, and had the English been as hearty in Relieving it, as the Inhabitants were in Defending, the Cardinal had laid his Bones under the Walls of it, and it might have been a Siege to this Day.

The Cardinal was so sensible of this, that it seems the Fate of the Rochellers rather Commanded his stay against Reason, against Hope, against a Probability, than that he had any Prospect of Success, as will appear when we come to the particular Story.

But ’tis apparent, the Apprehensions he had were great, in that wonderful Care he took to prevent the Rochellers obtaining any Assistance by Sea. The first thing the Cardinal did, was to make a Treaty with Spain, for 40 Sail of Ships to joyn their own Fleet, which never could make above 30, and those very sorry things be sure, as might appear by this Article, that when ever an English Fleet came before the Place, the French Men of War hal’d under the Shoar, and in the Creeks, where the English Ships durst not come for want of Water.

We all know the English Ships in those days, were not like what they are now, and very few of them carried above 50 Guns, many from 26 to 40; and if these were such Great Ships that they could not Fleet in to hurt the French, their Proportion may be guess’d at, Ex Pede Hercul.

Any Man that knows the Present State of France and Spain, but has read nothing of the Histories of those Times, would Laugh at the reading this, and talk of bringing the Author before his own Club, to tell the World of the Spaniards lending the French a Fleet of 40 Men of War.

But let them Laugh at their Pleasure; thus it was, and without this Assistance, all the Mighty Fence which the Cardinal built cross the Bassin of the Harbour at Rochel, would never have prevented the Relief of the Place; nor as it was, had the English and Dutch joyn’d in Resolutions of Attempting the Relief of the Place.

But the Cardinal had debauch’d the Dutch into a Resolution of being Passive in this Case; and as once they lent their Fleet to Disable the Rochellers, so now they agreed to stand Neuter, and neither attempt their Relief, nor joyn any of their Ships with the English.

As to the English, the Embarassments King Charles I. met with at Home, the ill Conduct of the Duke of Buckingham, and [111] of the Lord Montague, soon gave the Cardinal Light to see he had nothing to fear on that side; and that, could he but get the Spanish Fleet to Rochel, the English would look on, and see the Town Taken; and so it happen’d.

For at last, tho’ after 14 Months Treaty, the Spaniards came under Don Fredrick de Toledo; our fleets came and shewed themselves, and as they have done too often since, went and saw, and came home again.

These are some of the best Descriptions I can give out of Modern Stories, of the Naval Power of France, which was so weak, but in the Year 1628, that had the English and Dutch stood Neuter at first, or the Spaniards at last, the Rochellers alone had beaten all the Royal Fleet, and in all Probability been Lords at Sea to this hour.

The Sence the Cardinal had of this Defect, made him resolve upon Measures to prevent the like for the Future; and as Rochel being now subdued, became a Member of France, he gave the Rochellers all the Encouragement in Sea Affairs as possible, tho’ at Land he took care to lay them low enough.

It was not two Summers after the taking of Rochel, but the French appeared with 40 Men of War in the Ocean, of which we are told 25 of them were Commanded by the Rochellers, and as the War with Spain ensued immediatly after the suppression of the Hugonot War, the Spanish Admiral had the Pleasure to see his Advice wanted, as well as the Mortification to see himself block’d up with his Fleet in the Groyn, by those very French he had help’d to make so great.

It should have been Noted, That when Frederick de Toledo, the Spanish Admiral, receiv’d Orders to put to Sea, and Assist the French in the Siege of Rochelle, he Represented to the Conde d’Olivarez, the Spanish Minister, that ’twas his Opinion, they ought rather to assist the Rochellers, for that if the King took the City, he would be too much at Leisure, both by Sea and Land for the Spaniards to suppose it would be safe for them; but Olivarez could not bear to hear of Assisting Hereticks.

I must allow here, that if Frederick de Toledo was the better Politician, the Conde de Olivarez was the better Catholick.

But if the last was for securing the Catholick Religion, the first was truest to the Interest of his native Country, and consequently the best Spaniard.

But at the same time, what shall we say of the Difference between the Care the Spaniards took of their Religion, that they would rather run the Risque of all the ill Consequences which might follow, than assist the Heretick Hugonots; and the English and Dutch, two Protestant Nations should not only stand still at last, and see their Brethren and the Protestant Religion entirely suppress’d, but send their Fleets and Men to help on their Destruction?

ADVICE from the Scandalous CLUB.

OUR Society affords but little Diversion this Week, not because they have nothing to furnish the World with, but so much to say, they know not which to begin with first.

Some People of petulant Fame, have blam’d the Club for exposing Crimes which they call little ones, such as Whoring, Drunkenness, killing Folks, Duelling, and the like, which they call making Sport with our Neighbours Misfortunes.

And now the Society has a List of such Crimes before them, as they are in Doubt as to exposing them, for Fear of scandalizing the whole Nation.

They are not willing to bring in Three Men of the Band, setting up a Club in Opposition to ours, and practicing there a Crime too big for us to censure, too vile for us to name – Our early positive Resolution, not to espouse Party-Quarrels, makes us also resolve not to tell the World, whether these Gentlemen of the Band belong to the separate Societies of the Band and Cloak, the Band and Cassock, or the Band and long Robe; but ’tis enough as to Scan-[112]dal, that 5 Gentlemen more, whereof 2 of Quality and 3 in Commission of Peace; have most eminently sullied their own Characters, by endeavouring to deliver the rest from the Hand of Justice, and thereby made Work enough for the Reproaches of those who think them as Guilty as the rest.

The Society receiv’d an Ingenious Letter lately from a Person who is offended at some of our News-writers, giving English Titles of Honour to Foreigners, as my Lord Overkirk, &c. Had not that Gentleman put a little too much Salt into his Letter, it should have been publish’d; and if he pleases to put into a Stile, &c. as he very well knows how, he shall have Justice done him – in the mean time we are to tell him, ’tis no new thing for those Gentlemen to give Titles and take away Titles.

As one of them lately told us of the Elector of Albemarle, another of the Earl of Marlborough, another of Prince Jacob in Nubibus; and now my Lord Dutchman, and my Lord Walloon, which is just as proper as my Lord Post-Boy; and those Gentlemen are as far from being honour’d by their calling them so, as their Understanding is to be valued that do it.

A certain Gentleman lately was pleas’d to send the Society a most lamentable Poetical Complaint against the Surgeons, that admit People to Her Majesty’s Touch for the Evil; and this Accusation being in Verse, we had the more regard to it, but that upon due Enquiry, the Society cannot find Reason to think the Fact true.

Now tho’ a great deal of Civility will be shown to all Gentlemen that inform us of Particulars, and in especial Manner to a Poetical Scandal, yet we must desire all such Gentlemen to have a particular Regard to Matter of Fact.

ADvertisements are taken in by J. Matthews in Pilkington-Court in Little Britain.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S.

Next Term will be publish’d,

THe Famous Dispensary Poem, continued to this Time, with a large Commentary, fully Explaining the Characters of little Mirmil, Sowre Querpo, and all the other Physicians Graduate and not Graduate, who betray the Patients and their Profession to the Empiricks.

A Discourse upon the Pharisee and the Publican: Wherein Several Great and Weighty Things are handled: As the Nature of Prayer, and of Obedience to the Law, with how far it obliges Christians, and wherein it consists: Wherein is also shewed equally the deplorable Condition of the Pharisee or Hypocritical and Self-righteous Man, and of the Publican, or Sinner that lives in Sin and in Open Violation of the Divine Laws: Together with the Way and Method of God’s Free-Grace in Pardoning Penitent Sinners; proving that he justifies them by imputing Christ’s Righteousness to them. By John Bunyan, Author of the Pilgrim’s Progress. The Third Edition. Printed for John Mareshal, at the Bible in Grace-church street. 1704.

THE Wisdom of God manifested in the Works of the Creation. In two Parts. The 4th Edition, corrected and very much enlarged. By John Ray, Fellow of the Royal Society, in 8vo. The Plain Man’s Guide to Heaven. By Richard Lucas, D.D. 12o. The Temple of Sacred Poems and private Ejaculations. By George Herbert, late Orator of Cambridge, with his Life. The 12th Edition, Corrected, 12o. An Historical Didactical Treatise of the Two Covenants. By John Parker, formerly Fellow of Emanuel College, Cambridge, 8o. The Augmentation of Poor Vicarages, with the Proposals thereunto, 4to. All 5 printed for Jeffery Wale at the Angel in St. Paul’s Church-yard.

LIves English and Foreign: Containing the History of the most Illustrious Persons of our own and other Nations from the Year 1550, to the Year 1690. By several hands; who have been assisted in the Work with many private Memoirs. In two Volumes in 8vo. The English Lives are, William Lord Burleigh, Sir Walter Raleigh, George Duke of Buckingham, Marquess of Montross, Oliver Cromwel, Duke of Hamilton, General Blake, Duke of Albemarle, Earl of Shaftsbury, Duke of Monmouth. Printed for B. Took, at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleet-street, and W. Davis, at the Black-Bull in Cornhil; and sold by J. Nutt near Stationers-Hall. 1704.

Speedily will be publish’d,

CAssandra: (but I hope not) Telling what will come of it. Part I. In Answer to the Occasional Letter: Numb. I. Wherein the New Associations, &c. are considered.

+++ 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.

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