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.

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.

Saturday, June 17. 1704.

Numb. 30.
[133]

THe conclusion of the last, referr’d us to examine what a Condition our Colonies and Plantations would have been in, according to common Conjecture, in Case the French had been what we pretend to be, viz. Masters of the Sea.

’Tis hard to say all that would have happened; but these few Consequences will, I presume, be granted us.

1. A General Interruption of Commerce, with all its Circumstances and Concomitants – God knows, ’tis but so so, that our Trade is maintain’d as it is; Ships are detain’d, Convoys backward, abundance run the risque without Convoy, and fall into the Enemies hands; the dearness of our Sugars, and all the several Commodities which are the Growth of our Colonies, are a Demonstration of the Interruption of our Commerce; and if the French were Masters at Sea, ’tis easier to guess how it would be with us, than ’twould be to support the Charge of it: If we lose abundance of our Ships now, we should have none come safe then; if we pay a great price for our Sugars now, we should have none then for our Money, unless we bought them of our Enemies. In short, if the French were Masters at Sea, as we should have no Trade to the Plantations, so we should have no Plantations to Trade to, in a few Years; for they would not be such ill Husbands of the Advantage as we are.

2. The Interruption of Commerce in our West Indies, would infallibly starve our Plantations. The Terra Firma would be ruin’d for want of Trade, and the Islands for want of Food; one would be starv’d for want of a Market for their Corn, and the other for want of Corn for their Market. Continue reading Saturday, June 17. 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 27. 1704.

Numb. 24.
[109]

SInce so long, yet I hope not unprofitable Digression, relating to the French Grandeur, some of which every days News informs us, is too true; ’Tis time to let the Reader know, we do not forget the Connexion of the Story, and that it remains to consider the Grandeur of this Monarch, by Sea.

Something of this Nature has already been touch’d at, when I was Enquiring by what Methods the King of France furnish’d himself with Seamen; but to proceed regularly in this Case, it may not be amiss to Examine when, and how he has improved his Naval Power.

We find in the Reign of Lewis XIII. Cardinal Richlieu saw the great Deficiency of the French in this Matter; for the Rochellers, strong in Shipping, and supplied from England with Stores, grew so very formidable, that they spread the Seas with a Fleet of 35 Sail of Men of War, which made Prize of all the Roman Catholick Ships, ruin’d the Trade, and Enrich’d themselves to admiration: For as the King had no Fleet able to Encounter them, they Imploy’d themselves not only in Defence of themselves, but rov’d over the narrow Seas as Privateers, and by this Means kept themselves in a Posture able to Match the King, and to support their Forces by Land; and an Instance of this is found in the Histories of those Times, in the Year 1625.

Seven of the King’s biggest Ships lay at Blavet, a Port of Bretaign, not far from Rochel; Soubize, the Admiral of the Rochellers, Attack’d ’em, took fix of ’em, and carried them into Rochel, in spight of all the Fire from the great Batteries on the Shoar. Continue reading Saturday, May 27. 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.