Numb. 36.
[157]
HAving broke the Thread of our History in the last Paper, on Account of the Clamours rais’d at something formerly express’d, and which wanted Explaining; it has been thought not improper to continue the Digression a little farther, on the occasion of the surprizing turn of Affairs in Europe, since our last.
Now, says one of our constant Cavil Masters, Where’s your French Power? Now you have a blow given your French Greatness; Now you are a false Prophet.
I am, indeed, no Prophet at all, nor the Son of a Prophet, and yet I had always the foresight to see, and the freedom to say, That the late Attempt of the Duke of Marlborough was the only probable Step, that the whole Confederacy has taken a great while, and must have some extraordinary event; I know most People are fond of saying, after a thing falls out, we thought ’twould be so.
But as I am perhaps too apt to speak my Mind, especially when Truth has been in the Case; so who ever thinks it worth their while to look back into these Papers, will find I have express’d my self very freely on that Head.
I am none of the Melancholy Tribe, that are always crying Wo, Wo; I have always wish’d for Victory, and been therefore most forward to look for it, where it was most likely to be found; I could not but wonder at those People, and blame them, who on all occasions would reflect on the Duke of Marlborough’s Expedition, and with the usual Air of slight, cry out, ’twould all come to nothing, and the like.
I shall enter into no Man’s Praises, Panegyrick is none of my Talent; but this is not the first time I have profess’d my Opinion of that Prodigious March of the English Army; viz. That it was the best Concerted step the Confederates ever took, the least Discovered to the Enemy, and in every Article of it, Embarrass’d them most.
’Tis plain they knew not where the gathering Cloud would break; they expected it now on the Moselle, then on the Rhine; now at Landau, then at Thonville; now in one Place, then in another; nay, till the time that the Duke broke up from Ladenberg on the Neckar, they could be at no certainty which way he would steer, and therefore would never venture to leave the Lower Alsace.
Had the Mareschal Tallard, known the Design, ’twas very easie for him to have been at Ulm, before the English Forces; [158] but had the Duke of Marlbourough then Fac’d about, Landau had been lost, and that Conquest was of too much value to be expos’d.
The blow is now struck, and we see the Confederates have entred upon Action, as early as the Mareschal Tallard has begun his March; but as ’tis agreed on all hands, that he has begun to move, and in all probability may carry his Succours thro’ the black Forrest into Suabia; for I am willing to suppose the Worst, I am not at all of opinion from thence, that the Duke of Bavaria’s Affair can be retrieved.
If the French pass the black Forrest into Suabia, tho’ Prince EUGENE of Savoy will not leave the Rhine expos’d to the Troops left behind; yet there is no question, but he will make a large Detachment, which by the Plains of the Palatinate, may joyn Prince Lewis early enough to enable him to Face the French, and at least keep them at Bay while the English Army pushes the Elector of Bavaria.
These are some of the worst Prospects we can propose, and let them that are willing to think the matter will be retriev’d, tell us, what condition the Bavarian is in to Defend himself: We all know his Country is open, the Town of Ingolstat is the only Strength he has to depend upon; I believe I may say he has not another that will stand 5 Days open Trenches; and the French have 20 days March, besides needful Refreshments, before they can come up to him; mean time the Duke of Marlbourough has not march’d so far, and fought so hard for a Victory, and now he has got it, make no use of it.
If I may be allow’d to pass a Judgment on the Affairs of War, now depending, they stood upon this foot before the Action at Schellenbergh.
The Confederates being Superior to the Bavarian, prepar’d to act offensively, and push him to a necessity of complying with the Emperor.
The French being Superior to the Duke of Savoy, were also on the offensive, and actually pushing him to a necessity of complying with the Demands of the French King.
The Success seems to depend upon this, who shall hold out Longest, the Duke of Bavaria or the Duke of Savoy.
The Duke of Savoy, ’tis granted, is hard prest, having lost Suza, the principal pass into his own Country; the strong Fortress of Vercelli being Besieg’d by the Duke de Vendosme, and the Diversion which ’twas hoped would be made on the Secchia and the Lower Po, if late Advices are True, failing him.
But, there is this Difference still, that the Duke of Savoy has yet a great many Capital Places to Defend, which if the Garrisons do their Duty, must cost a great deal of Time, as well as Blood, to be taken; besides this, he has a very good Army unbroken, and yet untouch’d, Commanded by a Politick and brave General, Old Count Starembergh; who, together with the Duke, who all Men allow to have Courage enough, seem resolute to dispute their Ground by Inches.
On the other hand, the Bavarian has an open Country to defend with a Routed Army, the best and Flower of his own Troops broken and Defeated, and an English Army entering the Bowels of his Dominions.
Therefore it seems vary probable, the Duke of Savoy will hold out longer than the Duke of Bavaria.
And from hence, what I have often said appears true, that this March of the Duke of Marlbourough, was the only Cast we had for the Confederacy; before, it was but an even Chance, whether French Empire or German Empire, whether Liberty or Universal Monarchy; and if any odds, it plainly lay against the former.
The French are in this, like a Ship wreckt at the entrance of the Port; like a Bride dying on the Wedding Day; and if they have miss’d of the Conquest of Europe, it was just when they seem’d to have it in their hands.
Let them that deny this, tell me what could have prevented the Bavarians appearing at the Gates of Vienna, by the end of July, if this had not been? and if the Hungarians with 1500 Men could insult the [159] Imperial Pallace, what should have resisted a Victorious Army Commanded by a Prince Brave and Ambitious, us’d to Conquest and flush’d with a Series of Success, Pushing at an Imperial Crown and ready to snatch it from the Head of the feeble Possessor?
I forbear the very Proper Encomiums here on the English Valour and Conduct, the Honour of our Nation in saving the Empire, and the Zeal Her Majesty has shewn for the general good of Christendom, in parting with her Armyes to such remote parts of the World, and spreading the English Ensigns on the Banks of the Danube, where they were never seen before.
I forbear also a very just Remark on the Obligation the Emperor has on him, to the Protestant Powers of Europe, who ’tis plain are the Upholders of his Crown, and the Support of his Family, tho’ as Protestants, they really owe him no such Favour.
The first of these I purposely omit, because our Armour is not yet put off; and tho’ we have all the reason in the World, to hope for a Compleat Victory, yet the Chance of War is various, and I care not to boast too soon.
I omit the latter, because in the Prosecution of my present Design, I shall have a large stroke upon that Subject.
ADVICE from the Scandalous CLUB.
AS all the Town has been taken up in the Contemplation of the Victory gain’d by the Duke of Marlborough, so the Society have had a great deal of Business upon that Head, several Malecontents having been brought before them, who have had Discretion little enough to shew their Regret at the Success, by their Banters on the Circumstances.
A Mighty Victory indeed, said the first of these, an Irishman I think he was; you had need make such a Noise about it, and make so many Bonfires; Two Troopers and a Dragoon beat a little Boy; when the Duke of Bavaria had sent away half his Army, then you could beat him, and you were 3 to 2 before.
This Fellow came with a News-Paper in his hand, call’d a Postscript to the Post-Boy, which tells us to this Effect, That a strong Detachment of the Bavarians being sent away towards Donawert, the Duke of Marlborough, with a Select Body of Men, follow’d by the whole Army, attack’d their Intrenchments at Dillengen; and from hence this Witty Gentleman, as most of the rest of the Town did, being deceiv’d by the wise Mr. Post-Boy, pretends our whole Army Attacked the Enemy, when a great part of them were gone another way.
The Society seeing the plain Mistake, Resolv’d,
I. That tho’ as it is, ’tis very well, and a Victory Glorious enough, they wish’d it had been so; that the Duke follow’d by the whole Army, had Assaulted, Entred and Taken the Bavarian Intrenchments, and Beaten their whole Army; the Detachment excepted, kill’d no-body knows how many, taken 70 pieces of Cannon, and all the Et Cetera’s, with which those Gentlemen of News generally amuse us.
2. But as the Victory obtain’d is great enough in its kind, to deserve our Rejoyceing, and may be yet greater in its Consequence; the Gentleman was desired to put on his Spectacles again, and read the Gazette, and there he would find that this Fight was only Detachment against Detachment; and that saving the Superiority of Horse, which is always needful in such Cases, to support the Foot; the Duke March’d with but 6000 Foot, to Attack 18 Battalions, Intrench’d and Fortify’d; so that indeed, the Boy here beat the Troopers and the Dragoon; and therefore this Gentleman was Order’d to be Entred in their Books, as a Reader of false News; and to avoid farther Punishment, was oblig’d to serve in the room of the Hang-man, and burn the News-Paper as a most Ignorant Libel.
A strange Fellow was brought before the Society for a Mad-man; his Garb indeed was [160] very odd and particular, he had a Coat of all the Colours in the Rainbow; great Hanging Sleeves down to his Heels, and Embroidered all over with Crowns and Scepters; he had a swinging great Scimitar, a little like that the Painters shew us, with which Little David on a day Beheaded Great Goliath; he had huge Whiskers, big enough to hang ones Hat on, and a Face enough to fright a Tartar; he was Arm’d al a mode a Cossack, with a Bow and Arrows at his Back, had a great Horn like a Trumpet in his hand, and could speak neither English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, nor Portuguese: as soon as he came to the Society he sounded his Horn three times, and made a long Speech, but no-body understood a word he said.
The Club was mightyly puzzl’d for an Interpreter, and for a long Time could make nothing of it; they were a going to have sent for the Author of the Daily Courant, being an extraordinary Translator; but at last a Man was found, that had been one of the Czar of Muscovy’s Attendants, and he told the Club, the Man was a Polander; and came to the Society, from the Cardinal Primate, upon extraordinary Business; his Christian Names were as long as your Arm, but his Sir-Name was, Yzar Oblikarinosky, Cousin German to the Prince Jablanowsky, of the Late Famous Family of the Renegadowsky’s in Poland.
Having been receiv’d according to his Quality, and his Credentials Accepted, he presented a large Memorial from the Cardinal Primate and the Confederate Nobility, in Poland, who having a Crown to bestow, to who bids most, could find no-body to accept of it.
The particulars of the Memorial, since they will take some time to Translate, together with the Resolution of the Society, on this Important Affair, are refer’d to another time.
ADvertisements are taken in by J. Matthews, in Pilkington-Court in Little Britain.
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MDCCIV.