Tuesday, September 26. 1704.

Numb. 59.
[249]

IN the last Review, I brought the Oppressions of the Germans, and the Violences of the People, down to the very Article of Civil War, the Protestants Compos’d of and including Calvinists, Lutherans, Arians, Socinians and Greek Christians, call’d Rasciens, were all brought in, to make their Complaints rise up to a pitch, and heighten the Account of German Tyranny; these Complained their Privileges were infring’d, and taken from them; those Complain’d their Churches were taken away; and no doubt where the Soldiers prevail’d, the Priests under the Protection of the Military Power, made havock of the Protestants, and Sacrifized all to the Ecclesiastick Zeal; and Church-Tyranny as it always exceeds State-Tyranny, made the Cry of the Protestants, tho’ second to the Common Grievance, equal to it, If not Superiour in the Cause of Complaint.

We are now to suppose them up in Arms, and so universal the Insurrection, and the Emperor’s Affairs in such Disorder and Weakness, for want of Money and Management that almost on all Occasions, Count Paul Wesselini, the Palatine of Hungary, met with Success; the Germans were routed on several occasions, the Cities Revolted, and turn’d out the German Garrisons, or cut their Throats in their Quarters.

The Emperor’s Garrisons were ill provided, and worse paid; the Stores and Ammunitions embezzel’d; and in short every thing almost that was needful to oppose the Torrent of the Hungarian Success, seem’d to be wanting so that the Imperial Affairs went down on every side, and the Hungarians began to think of setting their Kingdom absolutely Independent of the House of Austria.

But Count Paul Wesselini, and the Hungarians, knew the Confusion of the Imperial Affairs, tho’ it was now their Advantage, would not always last, but that his Imperial Majesty would soon be rouz’d, and that they were not able at last to resist the German Power, when it should come on them with such Additions, as might be expected; upon these Considerations, They took Care to sollicit their Affairs at the Port, and by the help of their Agents, brought the Grand Seignor, to give all his Bassa’s and Commanders orders in their Favour, viz. To furnish them with Provisions, supply them with Arms and Ammunition; and upon all occasions, to permit ’em, if press’d by the Germans, to make their Retreat their Territories. Continue reading Tuesday, September 26. 1704.

Saturday, August 26. 1704.

Numb. 50.
[213]

I Am told a very strange piece of News of this Review, lately, viz. That it does not please every body; I never set up for a Degree of Understanding above other People, but without Vanity, I hope I may say, I never Merited to be thought so much a Coxcomb, as to expect it should.

If I write Instructive Truth, I am sure to please Wise Men; and I have been always unconcern’d for the Opinion of the rest — But since Mankind are pleased to distinguish themselves so very plainly, I ought to let the World know who I do not write to please, as well as who I do.

And first, Those that will believe nothing but what they would have be True.

Secondly, Those who would have the Swede be fighting the Lord’s Battle in Poland, and aiming at Planting the Protestant Religion. Continue reading Saturday, August 26. 1704.

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. Continue reading Tuesday, August 22. 1704.

Tuesday, August 15. 1704.

Numb. 47.
[201]

I Have done with the Swedes fighting for the Liberty of Poland — .

The next thing, which as ’tis alledg’d the Swedes fight for, is Religion, to pull down Popery and the Whore of Babylon.

Some Honest People, who are very Angry with the King of Poland for changing his Religion, and very willing to have the Swedes be Masters of Poland, because they hope they will plant the Protestant Religion there, are very much out of Humour with our late Reviews, which have dwelt so long upon the Matter, and so earnestly press’d the reducing the Swede to Terms of Peace.

These well-meaning Religious Gentlemen, shew their Zeal goes a great deal beyond their Understanding, as to the Publick Affairs of Europe; and of such I would ask, whether it is worse, that the Protestant Religion should not be replanted in Poland, or should be supplanted in England, Holland, and Germany? Continue reading Tuesday, August 15. 1704.

Saturday, July 22. 1704.

Numb. 40.
[173]

The Affairs of Sweden, which lay before me, had gone on in a due Chain of things in this Review —- But the Author has been diverted by a Terrible Attack, made upon the Intrenchments of his Honesty, as to Story.

This has been a bloody Battail, the Action of Schellenbergh is a Fool to it; the Author of the Daily Courant with his 20 Regiments of Booksellers, Storm’d Our Counterscarp, and tho’ they have formerly attempted it, and were beaten off as in the Review 17. and 18. yet having now Muster’d up all their Forces, they came on with an assurance Peculiar to News-Writers ——- and gave all the World Notice of the victory they thought certain; Inviting them three Days together to come and see the Sport.

I hope the Readers will bear the disappointment of what they expected this time in course, as to the King of Sweden, and accept of the short History of this Pen and Ink War as follows.

The Author of the Review Printed a Letter, Directed to the Club; concerning a wrong Quotation of the Leiden Gazette, see Review N˚ 37. Continue reading Saturday, July 22. 1704.

Tuesday, July 4. 1704.

Numb. 35.
[153]

IT seems to me something hard, That the Impatient World cannot refrain their Conclusions, before I am come to mine.

This I find is the effect of Writing a History by Inches; Mankind expects every piece should be entire, and bear a reading by it self: If it must be so, I confess my self incapable; the Scheme is otherways laid, and a half Sheet of Paper can’t do it.

My Design in this History of the French Affairs, is as vast in Proportion, as theirs in Contriving; and as it requires time to finish, it ought to have the Privilege of being view’d whole, before ’tis Condemn’d.

Asking his Pardon for the Allusion, I take my self to be just in Sir Christopher Wren’s Case, about the Building of St. Paul’s. Continue reading Tuesday, July 4. 1704.

Tuesday, May 16. 1704.

Numb. 21.
[97]

THE last Paper insisted upon the Divisions of the Confederacy, being Fatal to their Prosperity, and a Principal Cause of the present Superiority of France, to the rest of Europe.

I presume no body will pretend to call it a false Suggestion, or that it is not too true, that the Confederacy has suffer’d on this Account; If this be not a true Reason, No other can be given, but what will be a Satyr upon the whole Confederacy; since if they were United, and did they Act by Common Concert, it must be Impossible but the French Power, Leagued against by 17 Nations, besides Petty Princes, must, long since, have been reduc’d to Reason.

If then the Divisions of Europe are the Ruin of the Confederacy, they that attempt to Divide them, are accessary to the Destruction of us all, and ought to be Treated accordingly; and there I leave it, to return to the Chain of our Discourse.

I broke off the Articles of the French Authority, over their Subjects, with the Instances of the King’s severe Justice upon Duelling, and the Particulars History and living Testimony give us of the Proceedings in the Courts of Honour. Continue reading Tuesday, May 16. 1704.

Tuesday, April 25. 1704.

Numb. 15.
[73]

I Have but one Article to Add to this Head, of the King of France’s Absolute Government of his People, and that relates to his being Obey’d at Home.

’Tis true, the little Insurrection in the Cevennes, is an Exception to the General Character of the French Submission; but if we consider the intollerable Pressure those People lie under, the Zeal they always had for their Religion, together with the Nature of the Mountainous People, which is known to be Fierce, Rash, and Desperate; add to this the Situation of their Country, the inaccessibles of their Mountains, to which they Retreat, the Numbers of People in the Country round, who were Friends to their Design, tho’ afraid to venture: If we also consider the Circumstances of the French Affairs at the time they took up Arms, when they had good Reason to believe their hands were too full to spare a Number of Troops to Suppress them; we have more Reason to wonder this Rebellion has spread no farther, and that all Languedoc at least was not up in Arms.

And had not the Situation of the Country had this particular disadvantage to them, that no Foreign Power has been able to Assist them: I make no Question but the Seat of the War had been removed before now, from Italy into Languedoc, Guienne, or Dauphiné.

I cannot but observe, before I quit this Head, That in my Opinion our States-men who pretend they care not to assist the Camisars, that it is Dishonourable to Encourage Rebellions and Insurrections in our Neighbours Dominions, and may prove of Ill Example to our own: ’Tis my Opinion, these Gentlemen having first found the thing it self Impracticable, were rather willing to give a sham Reason for not Attempting it, than confess the Improbability, or afterwards be Reflected upon for Attempting what was unlikely to succeed. Continue reading Tuesday, April 25. 1704.

Saturday, April 22. 1704.

Numb. 14.
[69]

THE impossibility of Relieving the Camisars, tho’ we were heartily willing to joyn in such an undertaking, seems to me so plain, that I never found any feasible Project laid down for the bringing it to pass.

Those who expected the Confederate Fleet when they went into the Straights, should relieve the Camisars, and reproach’d our Government for their coming back before it was effected; shew’d their want of Judgment, as well as their want of Manners.

The Mountains of the Cevennes being at least 25 Leagues from the Sea-Coast, and the nearest Places on the Coast altogether unfit to receive a Fleet; no Port, no Harbour for the Ships to ride in; no Town or Fort to Land any Forces; ’tis strange to me what those People expected.

The Mareshal de Montrevel lay about Nismes, and as any one who knows the Scituation“Scituation” is a relatively consistent alternative spelling for “situation.” Since both occur frequently the word will be rendered as printed in this edition. of the Country will allow, either was, or on the least Alarm, might be Posted with his Army between the Cevennois and the Sea, so that whatever force had Attempted their Relief, must at least have been strong enough to have fought the French Army; and allow that Army had been but 12000 Men, all Men know, that Sir Cloudesly Shovel did not go furnish’d to fight a Land Army of half that Force. Continue reading Saturday, April 22. 1704.

Tuesday, April 18. 1704.

Numb. 13.
[65]

THe Cevennois are not so much the Miracle of this Age, as ’tis a Wonder to me the Accounts we have had of them should obtain so much in an Age, so incredulous as this.

I cannot think ’tis my Business to enter into a Debate of Original Right in such an undertaking as this; and to concern these Sheets with an Enquiry into the Justice of their taking Arms, and the Reasonableness of their being Oppress’d for Matters of Conscience.

That the Christian Religion does no way justify the oppression of the Conscience, we who call ourselves Protestants generally grant; but how far those Oppressions justify the Subject in defending themselves, is a point so hotly debated, that in this Paper, wherein I carefully avoid the Strife of Parties, I shall not enter into the Dispute.

Besides, as I have frequently Ingag’d in the Argument on other occasions, I think ’tis needless to Examine a Case, here, which ought to take up a whole Volume by it self. Continue reading Tuesday, April 18. 1704.