Category: History

Saturday, April 8. 1704.

Numb. 10.
[53]

THE General Head I am upon, is the wonderful Benefit of Arbitrary Power; and methinks I need not make an Apology here, and tell the Reader again, that I do not mean the Benefit to the Subject; but that I distinguish between the Greatness of the Monarch as a King, and the Greatness of a Nation as a People: But such is the Iniquity of the Times, that ’tis Dangerous to walk on the Brink of a tender Point.

I dare not say, that all our good Friends who are so very full of the Word Arbitrary Government, understand the Meaning of it; and possibly their want of rightly Understanding it, may have been the Reason of their Mistaking the just Power of a lawful Prince, for the Real Bug-bear we speak of; and the People who are of this sort, generally are for allowing their Governours little or no Power at all, and perhaps in the end, would be for no Governours at all.

I am far from giving Arbitrary Power a Character to recommend it to the Subject: But without doubt, That Prince, whose Designs center in his own Projects, enlarging his Dominions, and in the Conquest of his Neighbours; there is nothing can contribute more to this end, than a Despotick Arbitrary Dominion over his Subjects, whereby he obliges them, without any Reserve, to Comply with whatever he demands; to give what he asks; to go where he sends; and to do what he directs.

When a Prince must court his Subjects to give him leave to raise an Army, and when that’s done, tell him when he must disband them; That if he wants Money, must Assemble the States of his Country, and not only give them good words to get it, and tell them what ’tis for, but give them an Account how it is expended, before he calls for more. The Subjects in such a Government are certainly Happy, in having their Properties and Privileges secur’d; but if I were of his Privy-Council, I would advise such a Prince to content himself within the Compass of his own Government, and never think of Invading his Neighbours, or Increasing his Dominions: For Subjects, who Stipulate with their Princes, and make Conditions of Government, who Claim to be Govern’d by Laws, and make those Laws themselves; who need not pay their Money, but when they see Cause, and may refuse to pay it when demanded, without their Consent; such Subjects will never Empty their Purses upon Foreign Wars, for enlarging the Glory of their Sovereign. If [54] such People are free to Fight, or Pay, it is always for the Defence and Security of their own, not for the Conquests and Glories of their Prince. Continue reading Saturday, April 8. 1704.

Saturday, March 11. 1704.

Numb. 4.
[25]

’TIS strange that we cannot bear to hear the Truth, if the Fact it self does not please us; That we should be willing rather to feel than hear of the Greatness of our Enemies.

Methinks having the true Picture of our Adversary should be useful to instruct us in our needful Preparations. The French are generally full of Boasts and Rhodomontades, to make the World believe them greater than they are; our People full of Banter and Lampoon, to make them seem less than they are.

Those are two Cheats equally hurtful to us; the First to Terrifie us; the Last to make us too Easie, and consequently too Secure: ’Tis equally Dangerous for us to be terrified into Despair, and Bully’d into more Terror of our Enemies than we need, or to be so Exalted in Conceit of [26] our own Force, as to Undervalue and Contemn the Power which we cannot Reduce.

’Tis an allow’d Maxim in War, Never to Contemn the meanest Adversary; and it must pass with me for a Maxim in Politicks, Not to Contemn the Power that is so far from Mean, that ’tis a Match for half the World. Continue reading Saturday, March 11. 1704.

Saturday, March 4. 1704.

Numb. 3.
[17]

WE promis’d at the Conclusion of the last Paper, some Account of the Prospect of Affairs relating to the next Campaign, as a further Description of the French Greatness.

We shall Endeavour to say nothing of the French Greatness with the Air of a French Emissary; and leave as little room as possible for the Charge of Partiality; If the French Grandeur is at present the Terrour of Europe, ’tis a most Natural Consequence, that the Prodigy of the Growing Power of France is an awakening Wonder, ’tis a Text fruitful in Application, and the Consequences very useful.

’Tis true, This Age is apt to make wrong Inferences, and we are Content they should believe what they please of this Design, till the Event proves whether we are in the wrong, [18] either in making Things appear greater than they are, or in drawing abrupt and inconsistent Conclusions.

We have already given a short Scheme of the Conclusion of the last Campaign: As the French began the Campaign when the Confederates ended it, they now prepare in all Places to end it about the Time when the Confederates begin. Continue reading Saturday, March 4. 1704.

Saturday, Feb. 26. 1704.

Numb. 2.
[9]

HAving in our last given the Reader a Scheme of part of the Design of this Paper, and begun to Treat of the Present Greatness of the French Nation: ’Tis necessary, to explain what I mean by the Greatness of the French, to prove the Matter of Fact, and descend a little to Particulars.

The Condition the French were in formerly, will come in Course to be Treated of, in the Historical part of this Paper, and I therefore purposely omit it here, being resolv’d to avoid the Tautologies and Impertinences I reprove in other People.

I thought it was needless to premise, that a true Map of the French Greatness, rightly considered, is far from the Appearance of a design to Magnifie our Enemies, and Lessen or Discourage our Friends.

[10]

They will make a much better Improvement of our Account of the French Greatness, who quicken their Preparations, and double their Endeavours. The French are highly improv’d: But I have no where pretended, and indeed never Thought the French were invincible. Continue reading Saturday, Feb. 26. 1704.

Saturday, Feb. 19. 1704.

Numb. 1.
[1]

The INTRODUCTION.

Numb1fac.jpg

THIS Paper is the Foundation of a very large and useful Design, which, if it meet with suitable Encouragement, Permissu Superiorum, may contribute to Setting the Affairs of Europe in a Clearer Light, and to prevent the various uncertain Accounts, and the Partial Reflections of our Street-Scriblers, who Daily and Monthly Amuse Mankind with Stories of Great Victories when we are Beaten, Miracles when we Conquer, and a Multitude of Unaccountable and Inconsistent Stories, which have at least this Effect, That People are possest with wrong Notions of Things, and Nations Wheedled“Wheeled” in both of the Harry Ransom Center’s copies; “Wheedled” in Secord facsimile. In this case, the HRC copies contain an obvious error, which we have emended in accordance with our editorial practice. to believe Nonsense and Contradiction.

[2]

As these Papers may be Collected into Volumes, they will Compose a Compleat History of France, the Antient Part of which shall be a faithful Abridgement of former Authors, and the Modern Affairs stated, as Impartially and as Methodical as the length of this Paper will permit.

As we blame our Enemies for being Partial to themselves, and for filling their Gazettes with French Rhodomontades, we shall carefully avoid the same Errour, and give even the French themselves full Satisfaction for those of our own Writers, who are Guilty that way, by sufficiently Exposing them in our more Diverting part of this Paper.

We shall particularly have a Regard to the Rise and Fall of the Protestant Religion in the Dominions of France; and the Reader, if the Author live, and is permitted to pursue the Design, shall find this Paper a Useful Index, to turn him to the best Historians of the Church in all Ages. Continue reading Saturday, Feb. 19. 1704.