Tuesday, October 10. 1704.

Numb. 63.
[265]

I Am not justifying here the Honour of such Princes Proceedings, who fall upon their Neighbours, and begin Wars and Hostilities, without pretence of Quarrel, and without Declaring first their Resolution.

But for the Edification of those Gentlemen; who are willing the Swedes should ruin the King of Poland, because he Assaulted them without a just Ground; I would recommend to their consideration, how the Hungarians joyn’d with the Turks, in a War against the Emperor, under the obligation of a Solemn Peace, unbroken, and which had three Years yet to come, and without any ground of Complaint on the Turks behalf.

Nay, so openly, and against all Justice and Honour did the Turks break this Peace, that when afterwards the Losses and Destruction of the War, brought them to think their Priests at Constantinople exclaim’d against the injustice of it, and the Rabble Sacrificed those who had been the occasion of it; Declaring their great Prophet Mahomet was Angry at their beginning so Dishonourable a War; and Teckely himself was in no small danger among them upon this Account.

Yet I never read that our Hungarians, and who, some would have all call’d Protestants, made the least scruple of the Turks denying the Emperor this Ceremony, but treated his Imperial Majesty in all Cases, as if he was a Person with whom no Measures were to be observed, breaking all their Truces and Cessations, seizing their Magazines, intercepting his Convoys, even when under Treaties and Capitulations. Continue reading Tuesday, October 10. 1704.

Tuesday, June 20. 1704.

Numb. 31.
[137] Page numbers [137] – [140] are incorrectly numbered in all extant copies. The printed pages read [135] – [138]. There are no pages numbered [139] or [140]. Numb. 32 begins with page [141].

OUr last made some Digression on the Success of the French Affairs in the Seas of America; it might be expected I should make some Apology for what of that Paper relates to our own Affairs; but they that look for it here, will be mistaken, since I cannot be sensible of any Impropriety of Story; for as I am upon describing the French Greatness, and their extraordinary Conduct, in every part of their Government; I cannot think any Man could expect such a History could be Written, without some part of it, being a Satyr upon our selves.

I have promis’d the World, after I have gone thro’ this Tedious and Terrible Article of the French Power, to enter upon an enquiry, how it came to be so great; and tho’ in the Performance I shall be as Tender of our own Character in England as I can; yet I cannot believe any Rational Man can expect I can perform that Promise, without touching upon the Follies and Mistakes of the rest of Europe; of which the French Wisdom and Policy having taken the Advantage, they have been so made the Principal Instruments of advancing the Enemies Power, upon the Ruins of their own – And, for this is what I mean, how I shall be able to do this, and pass by a¬ll our English Errors, I yet know not; or how I shall do to please those People, who think we have made no Mistakes, or those that think we have, I ought not to meddle with them, I am further at a loss.

All the remedy for this Matter, is Truth of Fact, which I shall first keep close to, and then endeavour to pursue as decently, and with as much Respect to Parties, as an Historian’s Duty will permit, and for the rest, I shall borrow a Publick Inscription to stand by,

Lector fastidiosus sibi Molestus.

Continue reading Tuesday, June 20. 1704.