Tuesday, August 22. 1704.

Numb. 49.
[209]

OUR former Reviews have a little examined the Consequences of the Swedes, upon any disgust, going over to, and joyning with the French.

I think I set down the several Places where in such a Case he must, or should at least maintain Armies to defend his own Country; I resume that Head now, because I promis’d to shew the French could not be useful to them in such a Case.

’Tis very rational to suppose, that he could not joyn with France, but the King of Denmark would find it for his own Safety and Interest, to joyn with the Confederates; it was never known in any War, that those two Nations were ever of one side, they have had more Wars together than any two Nations in Christendom, even more than the Emperor and the Turks.

There is an indelible Jealousy rooted in the Hearts of them, one against another; and Providence, who Governs the whole World, seems to have plac’d it there, to provide for the rest; for should those two Nations agree together, their Country being the Magazine of the World for Naval Stores, it would be in their Power almost to tell any part of the World, as to Sea Affairs, when they should Fight, and when they should Submit; when they should fit out a Fleet, and when they should let it alone.

This constant Animosity would Naturally push the Dane into the Grand Allyance, in Case the Swede should fall in with the French; and this would of Course oblige the Swedes to maintain an Army in Schonen, another on the Frontiers of Norway, a great Fleet at Sea, and Troops in Garrison in the Isle of Rugen, Funen and Seeland; in all which Places the French could give them little or no Assistance.

I allow that Sweden is a Powerful Potent Kingdom, the People a Brave, a Warlike Nation, their King a Martial Enterprizing, and Daring Prince; but no Man will pretend either his Purse or his People are able to fight with so many Nations. ’Tis for France only to Bully Europe, the Swede must not pretend to it; and even France it self is like to pay dear for doing it, if Providence continues the Confederates Success.

But an Objector may start here, The Swede wants no People, he has a vast Tract of Dominion, a prodigious Number of Men, he wants only Money and he can do any thing.

This would be a Satyr upon the King of Swedeland indeed, and would pretend him to be a French Pensioner, and this may have something in it for ought I know — but what is this to the Swedes joyning Pubickly with France, he really does the French all the Service now, and more too than he could do, if he Declar’d himself; for if he openly engag’d with France; the Confederates knew what Course to take; but as he now obliquely serves the French Interest, and yet pretends to be on our side, or at least a Neuter, he may take the Pension, serve their Cause, and yet Delude and Amuse the Confederates.

This, as it is a more dangerous thing to the Confederacy, than his open Conjunction with [210] the Enemy would be, so it has these two Fatal Consequences.

First, That our hands are tyed from treating him as an Enemy, and consequently discovering the Fraud.

Secondly, The Mischief is equally great to the Confederates, and yet is done as by their Friend and Ally, without the King of Sweden involving himself in a War with them; nay, If the King of Sweden has a real Design to weaken the Confederacy and assist France, he will keep himself their seeming Friend, and by that means preserve himself in a Capacity to push their Ally, the King of Poland, without Embroiling himself directly, which must consequently divert his Force, and divide his Power.

For these Reasons ’tis clear to me, he will never Declare himself for France, whatever Extremities we drive him to, and that to threaten the Confederates with such a thing, is to suppose them so weak, as not to judge what is, or is not his Interest, as well as himself.

To push the Swede therefore by, interrupting his Communication with his own Country, and preventing his being Supply’d and Recruited from thence, will have these extraordinary Events.

First, It will force him to Declare himself; he will then tell us plainly, whether he is our Friend or our secret Enemy, and Europe remain no longer at an uncertainty; he must either break with you outright, and make the Peace of the North no longer doubtful, or be ruined and undone.

Secondly, The Peace will be easily made, and yet so made, as the Swede may be honourably dealt with.

This is being just to our Confederates, and to our selves; this is seeing our Interest, and opening our Eyes to our Deliverance; even the Swede you shall thus force to a Peace, will be your Friend, at least no Enemy; for I venture still to say, he dare not break with all Europe, and the Pole will be ready, and without doubt would Stipulate with you, to assist the Confederacy with 30 or 40000 Men.

Thus it appears the Swede can never find it his Interest to joyn with France, and if he did, France could not be useful to him, nor he to the French.

Let us then make him useful to us, his Nation has always been a Bulwark and Sanctuary to the Protestant Interest; if this Prince be blinded by his Passion, or thirst after Glory, to crush a Potentate, that tho’ he is his Enemy, is a considerable Member of the Grand Allyance; we must do, as in the Case of an enrag’d fighting Woman, hold her hands, let her do no Mischief, but not strike her.

It is no Crime to Affirm, nor no Arrogance for one Man to say, the whole Confederacy is blind, if they do not see that the Immediate Business is to end this Polish War; ’tis this weakens our hands, already weak enough, to engage with French Power; ’tis this deprives the Emperor of a Strong and Powerful Assistance; exposes him to the Insults of his own Subjects, and the Ambition of the Bavarian, who turns Rebel to the Empire, of whom he is a Branch, and boldly aims at the Imperial Crown.

Thus France is Supported, and its growing Power Encreased by the Swedes; the Protestant Religion Oppress’d and Endanger’d by its own Members; the Errors of the Protestant Powers, are the Rise and Encrease of French Power; and so I hope I have made good the Assumption.

It remains to me, only to excite all that read this Paper, and in them our whole Nation, to open their Eyes to the stopping this Breach in the Confederacy, and Fortifying it against a disturbing and diverting Friend, equally with an Invading, Encroaching Enemy.

What can France desire more of us, than that we should desert some one Branch of the Confederacy, that being otherwise employ’d at Home, we may have no Assistance from him Abroad? What can France desire more of us, than that we should let the Swede over-run the Pole, that he may meet none of the Saxon Regiments upon the Rhine, or be again defeated by the Polish Squadrons on the Danube?

It is in vain for us to pretend to maintain this War against France, if we let our Confederates fight with one another, while they should be rather encouraged to joyn Forces to the Common Assistance.

Will it be answered here, we are Mistaken, the Swedes would not value your Fleet in the Baltick.

I must pretend to say, such People either do not know the Position of his Dominions there, and the Case of his War with the Muscovites, who have shut up all the Passages by Land; or else they Object without being able to prove — But I foresee a more weighty Objection than this:

We cannot spare our Fleet — I wish it could be added, which are better employ’d.

I must say this, without any Reflection, as our Fleet have never done a more signal and effectual piece of Service since the Beginning of the last War, than the settling the Peace of the Baltick, of which I mentioned the Particulars before; so should they be sent to Bridle the Pow- [211] er of the Swedes, and bring them to settle the Peace in the North, which I am positive they might easily do; They may perhaps be better Employ’d for the Future, but they must do some more signal Action in the World than ever they did yet, before I shall own that they are Employ’d to better purpose Now.

Had Sir George Rook last Year taken Cadiz? Had he now Beaten the French Admiral, the Count de Tholouse? Had he taken Barcelona? Had he done all that a Fleet could do, or that we expected, he had never so well Answered the end of a Fleet, and so effectually serv’d the Confederacy, as he might have done, by a Voyage into the Baltick.

Here he had made an end of a War, fatal to all the Confederates; he had saved the Confusions of a whole Nation; he had rescu’d the City of Dantzick from her New Slavery, and had given the greatest blow to the French Power, that has been given them this War.

The Duke of Savoy might have been reliev’d, the Duke of Bavaria reduc’d, the Duke of Marlborough might have staid in Flanders, or have Insulted France on the side of the Moselle, and our Naval Power have sav’d that Reputation which some People say is too much sunk in the World.

Our Naval Power, were it employ’d as might be wish’d, is no such inconsiderable Article in the Present War, what if I should say it was the English Fleet which took Namure, I could easily explain my self by saying, that the English fleet that Year, insulting the Coast of France, and Threatning them with Descents, Bombardments and the like, oblig’d the French to maintain so many Troops for the Guard of their Coasts, as had they been at Liberty in the Field that Summer, the King of England would not have ventured to have besieg’d Namure?

Our Fleet is capable of making strange Diversions in the World, if rightly Employ’d; and no doubt the Eyes of our English Management, which seem to be lately open’d to our true Interest, will find ways to make all the due Advantages which may rationally be the Consequences of our being Masters at Sea.

ADVICE from the Scandal. CLUB.

THe Society Order’d the Clerk to Issue out a Summons to all our News-Writers, who had call’d the mock King of Poland, Stanislaus the Ist. and they were to appear by a Certain day, either to show who was King Stanislaus before the First, or to stand to such Penalty as the Court should award.

A Person was brought before the Society for saying the Duke of Marlborough had not routed the Mareshal de Tallard.

The Society ask’d him how he could have the Face to affirm such a thing, when all the Accounts agreed in the Particulars? —He told them he saw no such thing, but insisted upon it, that the English were Beaten, and it appeared plainly, he said, by the Accounts, for that the Mareshal de Tallard, and two other French Generals, had taken the Duke of Marlborough’s Coach.

The Society allow’d the Jest to be good, and so the Man was dismiss’d with Applause; and the News of the Battle remained as it was before.

The Author of the Gazette was call’d before the Society, and desired to explain the following Paragraph in his Paper of Collenel Park’s Particulars from the Battle at Hochstetten.

‘At our first coming, the Enemy was quiet in their Camp, and their Horses gone to Forage. They seemed by the Noise in their Camp to be in great Confusion.’

The Gentleman Pleaded he had Corrected it in the next Gazette; the Society caus’d the Gazette to be Examined, where it was found altered, but not mark’d as an Errata; so they Voted their Observation of it to be just, but dismiss’d him without Censure, for the sake of his Amendment.

Another Saxon Gentleman, who sent the Society a Letter concerning the Genealogy of the King of Poland, in English, to the same purpose with one Printed in our last Review, in Latin, is desired to accept the Answer in our last, to that Latin Letter, as a particular Reply to his also, and to accept the Author’s Thanks for his Observation, in as full a manner, as if the Letter had been directed to him.

A Letter was sent to the Society, to the following Terms, concerning the Duke of Bavaria.

[212]

Gentlemen,

Supposing the D. of B—be retired to Munick, as they say he is; and grant he carried off 25000 Men with him, which is more than any body pretends, will he Capitulate with the Confederates or no?

First, Sir, the Author Addresses the Society to Summon you before them, for slander, in accusing him of Witchcraft, as if he had a D—in his head, to tell him what the Duke of Bavaria intended to do.

Secondly, The Author replys, He reckons the Bavarian Mad, that he did not Capitulate before; and who can give a Rational Guess what a Mad-man will do?

Thirdly, The Author desires the Gentleman that asks this wise Question, to inform us, whether he is sure the Emperor will Capitulate with him; and if not, they do not see how he can Capitulate with the Emperor?

However, Sir, If you will have our Opinion, ’tis in short this, That as the Duke of Bavaria pass’d for Distracted with us, for not doing it before, so he shall be put out of our Books, and all his Subjects put in his room, if they don’t force him to do it now.

The Society desire to inform a Gentleman who sent a Letter to them, sign’d T.W. that they having profess’d from the beginning, not to meddle with Matters of the Nature his Letter intimates, tho’ they are entirely of his Opinion in the Case, they cannot Concern this Paper in it, which they hope he will not take ill; perhaps he may hear of the Case another way.

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.

AT the White Swan upon Snow Hill, over-against the Green Dragon Tavern, are made and sold the Newest fashion Flower-Pots for Gardens; Urns, Eagles, and Pine-Apples, to stand upon Posts of Large Gates; also large or small Figures, all made of hard Mettal, much more durable than Stone, and cheaper; also Candle Moulds, fit to make Wax or Tallow Candles, from 1 in the Pound, to 20: There is also made Artificial Fountains, that Play Water from 1, 2, or 3 Foot, to 20 or 30 Foot high, 1, 2, 3, or 6 Hours together, without Repeating with the same Water; which Fountains or Engines may be made use of to extinguish Fire 40 or 50 Foot high, with a continued Stream, larger than the Common Fire-Engines.

A True State of the Difference between Sir George Rook Kt. and William Colepeper Esq; together with an Account of the Tryal of Mr. Nathanael Denew, Mr. Robert Britton and Mr. Merriam, before the Right Honourable Sir John Holt, Kt. Lord Chief Justice of England, on an Indictment for the Designs and Attempts therein mentioned, against the Life of the said William Colepeper, on behalf of the said Sir George Rook. Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster.

There is now publish’d,

THE Mask of Moderation pull’d off, the foul Face of Occasional Conformity; being an Answer to a late Poisonous Pamphlet, Entitled Moderation still a Virtue: Wherein the late Reasonings and Shuffling Arguments of that Author is plainly laid open and Confuted. price 1 s. Cassandra, Numb. II. is Publish’d. price 1 s. 6 d.

Lately publish’d,

THE Monthly Journal, of the Affairs of Europe; Containing Divers Important and very Entertaining Matters, not Extant in other Accounts; beginning with the Month of July, 1704. To be continued Monthly. Printed for George Sawbridge in Little-Britain; and sold by John Nutt near Stationers-Hall.

+++ 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.

THE Comical History of the Life and Death of Mumper, Generalissimo of King Charles II’s Dogs. Written by Heliotropolis, Secretary to the Emperor of the Moon. London, Printed in the Year 1704.

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.

MDCCIV.

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