Category: House of Stuart

Saturday, July 1. 1704.

Numb. 34.
[149]

AS our Folly appear’d in not Relieving and Supporting the King of Bohemia, and the French made their Advantage of it, to lay the Foundation of their rising Greatness: So all the Decrease of the Protestant Interest, both in Germany and afterwards in France, is a double Proof of this Truth, that our Error has been their Advantage.

The not Relieving the Protestants in France, laid the Foundation of their Destruction, and their Destruction Cemented the French Power.

They that say King Charles I. did not Relieve Rochel, say true, and more may be said on that Head hereafter; King Charles I. was ill serv’d in that Affair; I make no Question, but that Prince was very hearty in his own Desires, of Relieving Rochel, and I believe he spent as much Money in the several Enterprises to that purpose, as would effectually have brought it to pass; and therefore they mistake me very much, who expect I should reflect upon his Memory in this Article; but I can no more excuse the Managers of it, than accuse the King. His Majesty parted with large Summs for the Relief of the Protestants, and that at a Time when Money was not very Plentiful, nor easy to come at; but the Misapplication of the Summs, or the ill Conduct Abroad, left his Majesty disappointed, the Nation Buffoon’d and Contemn’d by the French; the Protestants in the utmost Distress, at the Mercy of their Enemies, and drove the King to make a Dishonourable Peace.

This the French fail’d not to make their Advantage of, and treated the English with all the Haughtiness and Insult, that ’twas possible for one Nation to shew, or the other to bear. Continue reading Saturday, July 1. 1704.

Tuesday, June 13. 1704.

Numb. 29.
[129]

THe Frontiers of France, which now remain to finish the Circle drawn round the whole Monarchy, respect only the Coats, since the Borders on the Spanish side, Fortified by the Pyrenees, are more the Work of Nature than of Art.

’Tis true, there are some strong tho’ small Towns, on the Edge of Rousillon, and the Borders of Catalonia; but the French having always been Agressors there, and frequently pierced Catalonia, even to the subduing the whole Province two or three times; as they have the more neglected their Frontiers, so the restoring the Memory of Leucates.

Other such Places on the Passes of the Frontiers here, would serve very little to the Instruction of the Reader, which is the main End of this, and all profitable History.

It is easy to look back in History, to a time when all France was full of Fortified Places, and every great Town was also a strong Town; and when we come back to the History of the Wars with the Hugonots, and to the Famous Sieges of those Times, the Relation will of Course, be a Description of those Places of Strength. Continue reading Tuesday, June 13. 1704.

Saturday, May 20. 1704.

Numb. 22.
[101]

OUr last Paper observ’d, that in this Evil of Duelling, as in most other Cases, several Essays were made as a Remedy before it was brought to Perfection. Lewis XIII. made as severe Edicts against it, as any body could expect, having every day some Broil or other among his Nobility; and Cardinal Richlieu claims the Honour of making the first Edict of this Nature.

But there were two Deficiencies in all they Attempted upon that Head, which the Present King of France effectually supplyed.

First, Tho’ the Edict was severe enough, the King suffered himself to be prevailed with, by Intercession, to remit the Execution of the Sentence, till he came to be Insulted in his very Pallace Royal, and have Murthers committed, and Duels fought under the very Windows of his Bed-Chamber.

This serv’d to convince the World, that this Evil was too predominant to be Cured with Common Application; that something out of the Ordinary way of Justice, must be done to suppress so uncommon a Mischief. Continue reading Saturday, May 20. 1704.