XIII. France, and his difappointment in not obtaining a LETTER large fum to diffipate upon his pleafures, it furnishes But to make an a new inftance of that want of fincerity which dif- A. D. 1667. graced the character of Charles63. When he thus urged the commons to strengthen his hands for war, he had actually fold his neutrality to France, as I have already had occafion to notice; and had he obtained the fupply required for that end, he would no doubt have found expedients to fcreen his conduct, without entering into war, or even breaking off his private correfpondence with Lewis. offenfive and defenfive alliance with the Confederates the condition of a fupply, he forefaw would deprive him of the fecret fubfidy, and throw him upon the mercy of his commons, whofe confidence he had defervedly loft, and whose spirit he was defirous to fubdue. Confidering his views, and the engagements be had formed, he acted with prudence; but both were unworthy of a king of England. WHILE Charles, lolling in the lap of pleasure, or wafting his time in thoughtlefs joliity, was thus ingloriously facrificing the honour of his kingdom and the interests of Europe, in confideration of a contemptible penfion from a prince to whom he might have given law, the eyes of his fubjects were anxioufly turned toward the political fituation of the contending powers, and the events of rhe campaign. In Spain, domeftic faction had been added to the other misfortunes of a kingdom long declining, through the weakness of her councils, and the general corruption. of her people. Don John of Auftria, natural fon of Philip IV. had taken arms against the queen-regent, and advanced toward Madrid; and, although difap63. Macpherson, Hift. Brit. chap. i. A.D. 1677. PART II. pointed in his expectations of fupport, he returned to Saragoffa, fortune foon after favoured his ambition. The young king, Charles II. efcaping from his mother, ordered her to be shut up in a convent at Toledo, and declared Don John prime minister. But the hopes entertained of his abilities were not anfwered by the event. The misfortunes of Spain increased on every fide. IN Catalonia Monterey was defeated: Bracamonte loft the battle of Forumina in the kingdom of Sicily; and Flanders, in confequence of the capture of Valenciennes, Cambray, and St. Omers, was laid open to abfolute conqueft. The prince of Orange, in order to atone for his defeat at Caffel, fat down before Charleroy; but on the appearance of the French are my, under marefchal Luxembourg, he was forced to raife the siege. William, though poffeffed of confiderable talents for war, was inferior to rhis experienced general; and feems always to have wanted that happy combination of genius and fkill, which is neceffary to form the great commander. On the Upper Rhine, Charles V. duke of Lorrain, who had fucceeded his uncle rather in the title than in the territory of that duchy, commanded a body of the allies. The prince of Saxe-Eifinach, at the head of another army, endeavoured to enter Alface. But the marefchal de Crequi, with an inferior force, defeated the views of the duke of Lorrain, though an able officer. He obliged him to retire from Mentz; he hindered him from croffing the Maefe; he beat up his pofts, he cut off his convoys; and having gained an advantage over the allies, near Cokerf 64. Pelifon, tom. iji. berga LETTER XIII. berg, he closed the campaign on that fide with the taking of Friburg. The baron de Montclar, who defended Alface, was no lefs fuccefsful. After various A. D. 1677. movements, he inclofed the troops of the prince of Saxe-EiGinach within his own, and forced them to capitulate near Strafburg's. The king of Sweden, however, was not equally fortunate with his illustrious ally; he had ftill the worst in the war, notwithtanding, the taking of Elfeinbourg, and a victory gained over the king of Denmark. His fleet was twice defeated by the Danes, and the elector of Brandenburg took from him the important fortrefs of Stettin 66. DURING the rapid progrefs of the French arms in Flanders, ferious negociations had been begun between Lewis and the States General of the United Provinces, and an eventual treaty was actually concluded; by which all differences were adjufted, and nothing wanting to the reftoration of peace, but the concurrence of their respective allies. The misfortunes of the confederates, and the fupine indifference of England, feemed to render peace neceffary to them. But had they been fufficiently acquainted with the ftate of France, they would have had fewer apprehenfions from the continuance of the war. Though victorious in the field, fhe was exhausted at home. The fucceffes which had rendered her the terror of her neighbours, had already deprived her, for a time, of the power of hurting them. But the ignorance of mankind continued their fears: the apprehenfions of Europe remained; and Lewis derived more glory from his imaginary than from his real force. 65. Id. ibid. Voltaire, Siecle, chap. xii. 66. Mem. de Brandenburg. PART II. A.D. 1677. THESE apprehenfions were very great in England. In parliament they were made fubfervient to the purpofes of ambition and faction, as well as of patriotifm; and they awakened dangerous difcontents among the people. Murmurs were heard from all ranks of men. Willing to put an end to diffatisfactions that disturbed his repofe, Charles made a new attempt to gain the confidence of his people. His brother's bigotted attachment to popery, and his own unhappy connections with France, he was fenfible had chiefly occafioned the loss of his popularity. To afford the profpect of a Froteftant fucceffion to the throne, and procure a general peace to Europe, could not therefore fail, he thought, of quieting the minds of his fubjects. He accordingly encouraged proposals of marriage from the prince of Orange to the lady Mary, his brother's eldest daughter, and prefumptivę heiress to the crown, the duke of York having then no male ifiue, and the king no legitimate offspring. By fo tempting a match he hoped to engage the prince entirely in his interefts; and to fanctify with William's approbation fuch a peace as would fatisfy France, and tend to perpetuate his own connections with Lewis. WILLIAM came over to England at the clofe of the campaign; and whatever might be his motives for fuch a conduct, he acted a part highly deferving of applaufe, whether we examine it by the rules of prudence or delicacy. He refufed to enter upon business before he had been introduced to the lady Mary; declaring that, as he placed great part of his happiness in domeftic fatisfaction, no confideration of intereft or policy could ever induce him to marry a perfon who was not perfectly agreeable to him. The lady Mary, whom XIII. whom he found in the bloom of youth, and very ami- LETTER able both in mind and perfon, exceeded his highest hopes; but he ftill refused to concert any measures A. D. 1670. for the general peace, until his marriage fhould be concluded. His allies, who, as things ftood, were likely to have hard terms, would otherwife, he faid, be apt to fufpect that he had made this match at their coft. "And I am determined," added he, " it fhall never "be faid, that I fold my honour for a wife!” Charles, who affected to fmile at thefe punctilios, perfifted in his refolution of making the peace precede the marriage; but finding the prince inflexible, he at laft confented to the nuptials, which were celebrated at St. James's to the inexpreffible joy of the nation. THIS matrimonial alliance gave great alarm to the king of France. A junction of England with the confederates, he concluded, would be the immediate confequence of fo important a step, taken not only without his confent, but without his knowlege or participation. Charles, however, endeavoured to quiet his apprchenfions, by adjourning the parliament from the third of December to the fourth of next April; a term late for granting fupplies, or forming preparations for war68. In the mean time the king, the prince of Orange, the lord- treasurer Danby, and fir William Temple, held confultations relative to a general peace; and the earl of Feverfham was dispatched to France with conditions fufficiently favourable to the allies, and yet not dishonourable to Lewis. Two days only were allowed the French monarch for the acceptance or refufal of the peace, and the 7. Temple's Mem. part ii. chap. iii. 63. Dalrymple's Append. English |