Numb. 41.
[177]
A Grave Objector comes in now and demands, but what is all this to the English and Dutch, and what have they to do with the Quarrel between the Kings of Sweden and Poland; and last of all, if it be, what is it to the Matter in Hand, the Encrease of the French Power?
Patience, and the Process of the Story, will answer these Questions of Course. The King of Poland is our Confederate, a Member of the Grand Allyance; one, that whatever he has done to the Swede, would have assisted the Emperor with all his Forces against the growing Power of France, as appears by the Assistance he did spare him last Year, notwithstanding his own Streights, and therein we are all concern’d.
And as we have been very particular on the Royal Progenitors of the Swede, and their Glorious Actions, let us consider the King of Poland, tho’ the Changing his Religion, a thing we have nothing to do with in this Quarrel, may have prejudic’d us against his Person.
He is the Great Grandson of that famous Elector of Saxony, who joyn’d Heart and Hand with the Great Gustavus Adolphus, in that War against Ferdinand II. in which the Liberties of Germany, and the Protestant Religion were resumed from the Tyranny of the House of Austria; and who help’d to deliver Europe from Universal Slavery, then as much fear’d from the Austrian, as now from the Bourbonne Race; — That Prince who first dar’d to take up Arms against the Emperor when all was desperate, who form’d the Conclusions of Leipsick, and could never be prevail’d upon to renounce them, when all the rest of the Members of that League, the brave Landgrave of Hesse excepted, were frighted out of them by Count Tilly: That Prince who join’d his Forces with Gustavus Adolphus, and with him fought the terrible and bloody Battle of Leipsick, where Tilly and Popery were utterly routed together, which they never recovered; and from whence the Protestant Religion dates its Restoration in Germany.
He is the Grandson of that Great Elector of Saxony, who march’d at the Head of his own Army, and at his own Charge, to save the City of Vienna; and tho’ as a Protestant, he receiv’d some Personal Affronts there, yet chose to bear any Indignity, rather than not beat the Turks out of Germany; in which his Troops had a great Share; and next to the King of Poland, deserv’d most of Christendom.
He is the Son of that brave Prince who commanded the Imperial Army on the Rhine, and made Two successful Campaigns against the French, in which he was always forwardest to supply the common Affairs at his own Expence, and with the Blood of his Subjects.
Nor is he without his Personal Merit, having Two Years commanded the Imperial Army in Hungaria, and fought the famous Battle of Zenta, in which he overthrew the Grand Seignior in Person and 150000 Turks, kill’d 30000 upon the [178] the Spot, took all their Tents and Baggage, 160 Pieces of Cannon, and kill’d two Turkish Bassa’s with his own Hand.
If the Memory of the House of Saxony has any Merit, or bears any Regard with Posterity, the present King of Poland ought not to be forsaken and sacrific’d to the Ambition and Fury of a Prince that will hear no Reason.
But there are Reasons of greater Weight yet behind, the Interest of Christendom calls for some extraordinary Regard; the pushing this War to such violent Extremities robs the Confederacy of a powerful Member, of a hearty and vigorous Prince, who would soon turn the Scale upon the Danube, and check the French Power, if he were disengag’d from this cruel and revengeful Enemy at his Back.
This brings me close to the Point, and discovers how the Swedes are the present Support of the French Power.
I have been told, that when some Arguments have been urg’d to the King of Sweden with more Warmth than usual, to bring him to Moderation in the Pursuit of this War, his Answer has been, That if the Confederates offer him any Violence in this Matter, he will joyn with the French, or to that Effect; whether it be true or not as to Fact, I do not affirm; ’tis true in the Event, and he serves the French Interest now in Effect, equally to his assisting him with 30000 Men.
How many Offers has the King of Poland rejected of this Nature? If he would have joyn’d with the French, I could easily tell several Consequences very prejudicial to the Confederacy, and very advantageous to himself, which would have happened, particularly if Dantzick had not wanted Relief and Support to have prevented her falling into the ravenous Hands of the Swedes.
And perhaps Thorn had not been lost. And here I cannot but observe the Treatment the brave Garrison of that City receiv’d from the Swedes after they surrendred as Prisoners of War, the Barbarities they were treated with on Board the Swedish Ships, where they were starv’d with Hunger, expos’d to Extremities of Cold, the wounded undress’d, the poor Creatures whose frozen Limbs rotted from their Bodies, denied so much as Ministers for the Comfort of their Souls. I refer the Reader for the Particulars, to the Letter written by the Saxon General to Count Piper the Swedish General; the Contents whereof, would move the Heart of a harden’d Tartar, and is a Shame to Christianity and humane Nature.
And all this to Prisoners of War who had only done their Duty to their Prince, and defended a Town like Men of Honour.
I confess this is not usual among the Swedes, who generally are Men of more Humanity; and I am oblig’d in Honour to the Rest of the King of Sweden’s Character, to believe, it was not by his Direction or with his Knowledge: I am very sure from Numerous Instances of the Generous Treatment of his Enemies, the Great Gustavus Adolphus would have abhorr’d and severely punish’d the Usage of his Enemies in this sort, in the best of his Officers.
Thus it appears to me, as Confederates, the English, Dutch, Emperor, and all the Members of the Grand Alliance, are oblig’d in Honour, and above all, by their Interest, to defend the King of Poland; and, if possible, to reduce the Swede to settle the Peace of the North.
Had this been done, the Duke of Marlbourough need not have march’d to the Danube, nor the English been put to the Charge and Hazard of venturing the Flower of their Forces, in a Country so remote from home.
The King of Poland would have Succour’d the Emperor with all his Forces, and have shown himself at the Head of 30000 Men, to have prevented all the Insults of the Haughty Bavarians.
The Circle of Saxony had sent her Quota to the Imperial Army on the Rhine, and perhaps helpt to compell other Princes to do the like.
It would be a Book by itself to set down the Alterations this Northern Peace would make, in the Affairs of Europe; what a Change the Powerful Assistance of Poland and Saxony would make at the Court of Vienna, and what Advance the Confederate Armies would have made in other places; in the mean time Italy would not have been abandon’d, nor the Duke of Savoy driven to the present Extremities.
The King of Prussia, who is now oblig’d to to keep an Army on the Frontiers of Poland, would have been at Liberty to have spar’d those Forces to the Rhine or the Danube.
Even the King of Sweden himself, who has not declar’d himself against the Confederates, might have been prevail’d with to come in, or if not heartily to joyn in the Alliance, yet at least to have sent his Quota for the Territories he holds in Germany, and perhaps for Money to have supply’d the Emperor or the States with 15 or 20000 Men.
[179]
What could Europe have wisht, that would not have been the consequence of this Peace, and yet the Swede be as Great and as Glorious as he can now be, and end the War as much to his advantage as it can be possible for him to do, by setting another Prince upon the Polish Throne?
If his design be the Polish Crown, as some imagin, of whom I profess I cannot help being one, nor am I convinc’d of the contrary by the Election we now hear of; but if this should at last appear to be his Design, tho’ his Reasons are the stronger, why he refuses all Peace and Mediation, yet the Reasons are ten fold more strong, why the whole Confederacy should joyn to prevent it.
If I am enquir’d of how it shall be prevented, and what Methods the Confederates ought to take to restrain the Ambitious Designs of the Swedes; I answer in general, they are several, they are plain, they are easy, and it cannot be in the Power of France to prevent them.
ADVICE from the Scandalous CLUB.
THe Author of the True Born English-man was summon’d before the Club, upon the Complaint of a Poor Hawker who was sent to Bridewel lately.
The Poor Woman had cry’d abundance of Scoundrell Papers, Trips to the Devils Summerhouse, High Flyer, Low Flyer, and the like, all as written by the Author of the the True Born English-man, for which he made complaint to the Magistrate, and had laid hold of this one, by way of Example.
The Woman insisted, that he was the Author of it, and Summon’d in W—n, B—d, R—d, H—H—, C—, E— and a Crowd of Printers to justifie it; They having order’d her to cry it so, and told her ’twas true; but when the Poor Woman wanted her Vouchers, none of them would appear.
The Author to prove the Negative in the particular Paper which the Woman was taken with, viz. The Picture of a High Flyer, produc’d the very Paper, varied only in a few Proper Names, Printed above 20 years ago, being Written by Harry Care, and call’d, The Character of a Tory.
The Society pitied the Poor Woman, and let her go; but resolv’d that the Printers should stand Convicted of PETTY FORGERY, and be Bound once a Week to repeat the following Lines, a la Penitent, as a further satisfaction to the Author.
THe Mob of Wretched Writers stand,
with Storms of Wit in every Hand;
They Bait my Mem’ry in the Street,
And Charge me with the Credit of their Wit.
I bear the Scandal of their Crimes,
My Name’s the Hackney Title of the Times.
Hymn, Song, Lampoon, Ballad and Pasquinade,
My Recent Memory invade;
My Muse must be the Whore of Poetry,
And all Apollo’s Bastards laid to me.
Elegy on the Author of the True Born Englishman,
P. 6, 7.
After this a Debate happen’d, how to prevent the like for the future; but some difficulties appearing, the said Author told them he would propose a method to make it plain to all the Town.
And first declaring, that he wrot nothing but what has fairly been Publisht as his own, and as he hopes he shall never write any thing that he shall either be afraid or asham’d to own; so what ever he writes for the future shall have his Hand fairly set to it, that every body may know it, and wishes all Authors were oblig’d to do the like.
And tho’ he cannot believe his Friends, nor hardly his Enemies very forward to think him concern’d in any of the Shams cryed about the Streets in his Name; yet for the future, they will be certain when they do not see his Hand to a Paper, that ’tis none of his, and they that will Print his Name to their own, as some have done, must do it at their Peril.
A Man was brought before the Society for saying the D— of M— would not pretend to attack the Bavarian and French Army; and that therefore he had as good come home again, and the like.
The Society began to take him for one of those ill-natur’d People, that are always prophesying evil Tydings; and who think, because our Designs and Foreign Expeditions, use to miscarry, they must still do so, and were preparing to treat him as he deserv’d; but being willing first to hear what he had to say for himself, they call’d him in.
The Man own’d the Words, and told the Society he spoke it in Respect to the D—, know- [180] ing him to be a Great General; and that on the contrary he must be a Madman to attack the French Army; and he would appeal to the Society, at the same time pulling out a printed Paper, which says, the French and Bavarian Army were making a Ditch round their Camp 50 Foot wide, and 50 Foot deep— and he thought the D—l must be in them that ventur’d to attack them. Post-Script to the Post-Boy, July 17. the Society finding the Jest of it, dismiss’d the Man, and left the World to use the News-writer as they thought fit.
The Reader is desir’d to correct the Press in the following Particulars in our Review No. 39. Pag. 171. Col. I. Line 11. for Le Charte blanche read La Carte blanche; Pag. 172. Col. I. Line 4. for Lover read Lovers; ib. Line 5. read prompts; ib. Line 9. read Idol’s; ib. Line 13. dele for; ib. Line 14. for Lady read Lady’s,
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.
This Day is publish’d,
A Letter from the Dead Thomas Brown to the living Heraclitus, with Heraclitus Ridens’s Answer. To which is added, the last Will and Testament of Mr. Thomas Brown, Archi-Poete Celeberrimi; wherein are inserted the several Legacies he bequeathed to the Poets that survive him. Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster. price 6 d.
THE Milan Predictions, for the Year 1704. Containing surprizing Events that Threaten Europe, from the Present War. By Seignior Piscatore, The Famous Italian Astrologer; who has foretold more things which came to pass, for these three Years last past, than any other Artist in Europe. Sold by J. Nutt. price 3 d.
There is now publish’d, The Sets of Heraclitus Ridens, containing 63, which were writ in opposition to John Tutchin’s Common-wealth Observator; and which afford him and Country-man, Bones enough to pick on till next Michaelmas.
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THE Almirante of Castile’s Manifesto. Containing, I. The Reasons of his Withdrawing himself out of Spain. II. The Intrigues and Management of the Cardinal Portocarrero, and Don Manuel d’Arias, about the Will of King Charles the Second, to Advance the Duke d’Anjou to the Possession of that Crown. III. The Government of Cardinal Portocarrero, &c. after the King’s Death. IV. The Designs of France against Spain. V. The Manner of the Admiral’s making his Escape into Portugal. VI. And his Proceedings at Lisbon. Faithfully Translated from the Original Printed in Spanish at Lisbon, since the Arrival there of King Charles III. London, Printed, and sold by John Nutt, near Stationers-Hall. 1704.
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+++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.
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.
Just publish’d,
WHereas Notice has been given in the Gazette, and other Papers, of a Collection then making of all the remarkable Accidents of the late dreadful Storm; the said Book is now in the Press, and will be publish’d next Week, from the most Authentick Accounts sent up from almost all Parts of the Kingdom by several Curious Gentlemen, especially of the Clergy; according to the Invitations of the aforesaid Advertisements: Together with the particular Losses in the Navy. Printed for George Sawbridge in Little Britain, and Sold by J. Nutt near Stationers-Hall.
MDCCIV.