Category: Holy Roman Empire

Tuesday, May 9. 1704.

Numb. 19.
[89]

IF the Devil had been an Englishman, a Poor Author would certainly have been Reflected on, for saying any thing amiss of him; if a Frenchman, he must have said nothing well of him; one would have been call’d bewraying his own Nest, the other, applauding our Enemies.

Those Gentlemen who give themselves leave to Reproach these Papers with Jacobitism and Bribery, how much asham’d of themselves will they be, when the Book is whole, and all Parts may be viewed together? ’Twill Certainly Reflect both upon their Judgment, their Temper and their Honesty.

Upon their Judgments, that they could not see a Design so plainly laid down as this is, and so often repeated.

Upon their Temper, that they could not have Patience to let one Part of the Story follow another, but pass their Censure upon the Design, when they had seen but part of it.

Upon their Honesty, that they should not be able to bear the Truth, because it was said of their Enemies. Continue reading Tuesday, May 9. 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 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, April 1. 1704.

Numb. 8.The main title changes to A REVIEW OF THE Affairs of FRANCE with the publication of Numb. 8. The subtitle continues to read: Purg’d from the Errors and Partiality of News-Writers and Petty-Statesmen, of all Sides. The title retains this wording through the end of the first volume, closing with Numb. 102, published February 24, 1705. The Review changes titles again with the publication of Vol. 2, Numb. 1, on February 27, 1705. At that point the main title remains the same, but the subtitle becomes With some Observations on TRANSACTIONS at Home, a reflection of the Review’s trend towards domestic topics.
[45]

OUR last broke off at the Beginning of the March of the Germans, who encamp’d the first Night 22 Miles from the French Army, and making but a short stop, continued advancing for three days together, without halting or refreshing their Men.

The Duke de Vendosme immediately address’d himself to follow them, and with his usual Expedition was in full March with 18000 Men the next day by Noon; and this must pass with Men of Judgment for very great Dispatch.

We need not trouble the World with the History of this March, which is to be found in Our Gazetts, and will, no doubt, be transmitted to Posterity in all the Histories of the Times, as the greatest Action of the Age, How 16000 Men with their Cannon and Carriages, with a more numerous Army at their Heels, march’d in the Depth of Winter, in a wet rainy Season, thro’ a deep dirty and almost impassable Country, where in many Places they were fain to draw their Cannon by strength of hand, compass’d about with Enemies, Garrisons, and several strong Bodies posted in their Front, at all the Passes and Places of Advantage.

Thro’ all these Difficulties and Hazards they mov’d on with incredible and unparallel’d Expedition; and had it not been for the Breaking of a Bridge at passing the Bornia, they had never so much as been fought with in their Way. The Brush they had there was inconsiderable, and no way impeded their March; Till at last having travers’d the Cremonese and Milanese, and march’d above 200 Miles, they join’d the Duke of Savoy’s Forces on the Frontiers, brought with them 1500 Prisoners, and Hostages for three Millions in Contributions. Continue reading Saturday, April 1. 1704.

Tuesday, March 28. 1704.

Numb. 7.The Review begins twice weekly publication with Number 7.
[41]

OUR last Paper was a Digression with Relation to the Affairs of Savoy, which however, some may think it Foreign to the Present purpose, was absolutely necessary, in Order to lead us into the Story; the effect whereof is so exceeding Pertinent to the Case in hand; Viz. The present Greatness of the French Power; for here, and we may say here only, The Affairs of France have receiv’d some Check.

And yet here the Accuracy of their Conduct is Visible, in bringing themselves out of the Snare laid for them, which had they not done very nicely, and by a Swiftness of Motion peculiar to themselves, they had not receiv’d a Check only, but in all probability a Blow, and that a more fatal one, than they had felt since the Action at la HogueLouis XIV’s failed attempt to restore James II to the throne in 1692, three years after the “Glorious Revolution” and two years after the Battle of the Boyne. See Benjamin West’s history painting of the battle at the National Gallery of Art’s website..

’Twould make a Man smile to observe, how, during this Interval, our Mountebank Historians of News-Writers, found Reasons for the French not proceeding; and one of the best of them had the folly among the rest to tell us, The French had a design to Bombard Trent, but cou’d not come at it for the River.

All Men know the River Adige is but a small one there at best, not bigger than the River Lea at Bow-Bridge, or Hackney-Marsh; and how that could hinder the French Bombarding the City, is hardly worth while to Remark. Continue reading Tuesday, March 28. 1704.

Saturday, March 18. 1704.

Numb. 5.
[33]

A DIGRESSION to the READER.

IT is not for want of Matter wherewith to Entertain the World, that this Paper is thus reduc’d from a whole to half a Sheet, the vast Extent of the Subject we have Entred upon, rather gives us Cause to fear Life will hardly Extend to Finish the Undertaking, and at the slow Rate of now and then a Paper, this Age will hardly come to the End of the History.

But the Necessities of Trade, not Improperly call’d the Iniquity of the Times, compel us to this Alteration, the Publishers of this Paper honestly Declaring, that while they make it a whole Sheet they get nothing by it; and tho’ the Author is very Free to give the World his Labour for God’s sake, they don’t find it for their Convenience to give their Paper and Print away.

But this is not all, the common Sellers of News, from the unusual Size, and general Success of this Paper, took Occasion to Impose upon the World and Sell it for Two Pence; which; which as it was raising a Tax without a Legal Power was thought Scandalous by the Club, and accordingly is thus effectually suppress’d.

And to convince the World, these are the true Reasons, they will find, That we have by the help of a smaller Print, and a larger Page, taken Care to put as much into this half Sheet as was in the former, and so the whole of the Matter is only the Injury done to the Eye-sight, in obliging the Gentlemen to read it in a smaller Character; and if we find the Subject grow too fast upon us, we shall help it by bringing the Paper out twice a Week.At this point in the Review the print shrinks, the layout shifts from single column to two columns, and the move from printing a full sheet to a half sheet reduces the pages from eight to four. All of these moves, as Defoe mentions in the first paragraphs of this number, were in response to booksellers charging two pennies for the paper because of its larger than usual size. Continue reading Saturday, March 18. 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.