A. C

1678.

i

Treaty of

Alliance

there declar'd his Refolution of fending him immediately into Holland with Commiffion to Sign a Treaty with the States, by which they fhould, be oblig'd to carry on the War, and his Majefty to enter into it, in cafe France fhould not agree to evacuate the Towns within a certain time limited. Upon this occafion his Royal Highness the Duke of York fell into this Council with great warmth, and faid at the Committee, That it was plain by this Proceeding, that France was not fincere in the Bufinefs of the Peace; that they aim'd at the Univerfal Monar chy, and that none but his Majefty could hinder them from it, in the pofture that Chriftendom stood. His Britannick Majefty took the pains to prefs Monfieur Van Lewen to go over with SirWilliam Temple to perfwade the States of the Sincereness and Conftancy of his Refolution to pursue this Measure with the utmost of his Power. Sir William Temple and Monfieur Van Lewen being arriv'd at the Hague the Negotiation was immediately fet on Foot, and in the fpace of fix Days the famous Treaty of Alliance between between England and Holland was happily conclu- England ded, to the general Satisfaction of the Hollanders, and Hol who at the firft Conference made Sir William this land, July Complement, That they esteem'd his coming into 26. Holland like that of the Swallows, which brought fair weather always with them. Among the reft, the Prince of Orange receiv'd the English Ambaffador with the greatest joy in the World, hoping by his Errand and the fuccefs of it, either to continue the War, or recover fuch Conditions of the Peace for his Allies as had been wrefted out of his Hands by force of a Faction begun at Amfterdam, and spread fince into the rest of the Provinces. And, indeed, it is hardly to be imagin'd what a new Life this new Alliance gave to the Authority and Fortunes of the Prince of Orange, who was now acknowleg'd by the States to have made a truer Judgment than they had done, of the Measures they were to expect both from France and England, the last having proceeded fo refolutely to the offers of entring into the War, (which was never believ'd in Holland) and France, after railing fo great a difficulty in the

Peace

Mons

block'd up

by the French.

A. C. Peace, having purfued the War fo far as to block 1678. up Mons, one of the best Frontiers remaining to Flanders, which was expected to fall into their Hands before the time limited for the Conclufion or Rupture of the Treaty fhould expire. Thereupon Preparations were made with the greatest Vigour and Diligence imaginable for his Highness's Expedition to relieve that Important Place, and about 10000 English, already arriv'd in Flanders, were order'd to march that way and joyn his Army. The Prince went into the Field with a firm Confidence that the War would certainly go on, hoping to engage the French Army before the term for Signing the Peace fhould expire, and refoly'd to relieve Mons or die in the Attempt.

After the Treaty between England and Holland had been thus concluded and fignified to France, all the Arts imaginable were practiced on that fide to elude it, by drawing the matter into a Negotiati on, or at least a greater length, which had fucceeded fo well in England; and to Treat upon it first at St Quintin, then at Ghent, where the French King himfelf propos'd to meet fuch Ambaffadors as the Dutch fhould fend to either of thofe Towns: But the States were stanch not to recede from their laft Treaty, and continued in that Refolution till about five Days before the Expiration of the time limi ted; when there came one du Cros, a Swedish A. gent in England, with Orders from his Britannick Majefty for Sir William Temple immediately to repair to Nimeguen, and there to endeavour to pers fwade the Swedish Plenipotentiaries to let the French there know, That they would for the good of Chriften. dom confent, and even defire the King of France no Longer to defer the Evacuation of the Towns; and af fure the faid Swedish Ambaffadors; that after this Peace the King of England would ufe all the most effectual Endeavours he could, for the Reftitution of all the Towns and Territories that had been taken from the Swedes in the War. How this Difpatch of Du Cros was obtain'd was never certainly known; but 'tis reafonable to believe, that France had the greatest Hand in it, fince 'twas terminated all one Morning

in the Dutchess of Portsmouth's Chamber, by the Intervention of Monfieur Barillon the French Ambaffador. Yet, for all this, when Sir William Temple arriv'd at Nimeguen, which was but three Days before the expiration of the term fix'd by the late Treaty, between the King of England and the States, either for the French to evacuate the Towns, or for carring on the War conjointly against France, there was but little difpofition that the Peace would be Sign'd, but rather the quite contrary appear'd, by the ftifnefs fhew'd on both fides to adhere firmly to their respective Demands: And the Dutch pofitively maintain'd, That there could be no Depu tation made either to St. Quintin or Ghent, nor any other Expedient for preventing War, befides the affent of France to evacuate the Towns. The Peace thereupon feem'd defperate, and the more fo, because at the fame time the Duke of Luxemburgh prefs'd Mons, the Marefchal Schomberg threatned Cologne, and Bruffels almoft grew uneafie upon the Neighbourhood of the French Armies; fo that the Allies thought themfelves fecure of what they had fo much and fo long defir'd and aim'd at, which was a War against France, in Conjunction with England. In the midst of thefe Views and Difpo fitions at Nimeguen, came the Fatal Day, fix'd by the late Treaty at the Hague, which mult determine whether a fudden Peace, or a long War were to be reckon'd upon in Chriftendom; when in the Morning early, Monfieur Boreel, who had been fent from Amfterdam to the Dutch Ambafladors, went to the French Plenipotentiaries, and after fome Conference with them, these three Minifters went immediately to thofe of Holland, and declar'd to them, they had receiv'd Orders to conent to the Evacuation of the Towns, and thereupon to Sign the Peace; but that it must be done that very Morning. At this the Dutch feem'd to be furpriz'd, but, however, immediately enter'd into a Conference with the reft, which lafted for five hours, and ended in an Agreement upon all Points, both of Peace and Commerce between France and Holland; against which the Ambaffadors of Denmark, I Brandenburgh,

tween France

A. C. Brandenburgh, and Munster gave in a Memorial, al1678. ledging, after a long train of Expoftulations, That in such a bafty and precipitate Conduct in the Dutch Peace be was unworthy of a State that had always govern'd it felf with Reafon and Fuftice; and that Juch an extraordinary step would be an everlafling Blot upon the and Hol- Honour and Reputation of the States General. And land concluding, That if, notwithstanding all, they were Signed, refolu'd to proceed, and enter into a Neutrality fo con Aug. 11. trary to their folemn Engagements, they protefted Though against that separate Treaty, in the best form they could, protested and not only fo, but against all the Calamities that against by Christendom in General, and the Princes their Mathe Allies. fters in particular, might fuffer by that Separation. But

1678.

notwithstanding the Reafonablenefs and Solemnity of this Proteftation, and the Irrefolution of Monfieur Van Haren, one of the Dutch Plenipotentiaries, who did not feem to be fo clear in the Point of their Orders; yet Directions were prefently given to have all fair writ over with the greatest haft imaginable, fo that the Treaty might be Sign'd that Night, which was done accordingly between Eleven or Twelve, without the Intervention of the English Mediators, who refus'd to Sign the fame, or to have their Names mention'd in it as Mediators, faying, Their Inftructions were only to mediate a General Peace, and not a particular one.

The Day after the Signing of this Peace came over the Ratifications of the late Treaty between his Britannick Majefty and the States, with Orders for Sir William Temple to proceed forthwith to the Exchange of them, which he did accordingly; though after the Counter-Pace made by the Dif patch fent by Du Cros, and the Confequences of it, the fame appear'd now as unneceffary, as it had been at firft unrefolv'd at the English Court, and unexpected by the Dutch, who, many of them, now were unfatisfied with the Peace, and efpecially with the Precipitation of Monfieur Beverning in Signir g it; but the thing was done, and after fome Debates, the City of Amfterdam declaring their Approbation of it, the reft of the Provinces did foon acquiefce.

Thus

Thus by the the Addrefs and skill of the French A. C. Politicians, the English Negotiation ended in 1678. Smoke, which was near kindling fo great a Fire;n the Peace was gain'd with Holland, his Britannick Majefty was excluded from any fair Pretence of entering into the War, after a great Expectation of his People rais'd, and, as they thought, deluded; Spain was neceffitated to accept the Terms that Holland had Negotiated for them; and this left the Peace of the Empire wholly at the Difcretion of France.

Immediately after thefe precipitate fteps of the Dutch Ambaffadors at Nimeguen, the Prince of Orange refolv'd to fave the Honour of his Country, and to Signalize himfelf by a defperate Attempt in the Field. Mons had been ftraitly block'drup by the French Army, Commanded by Luxemburgh, who was fo confident of the good Pofture he was in, that he writ to the Marefchal d'Eftrades, one of the French Plenipotentiaries, That he was fo pofted, that if he had but 10000 Men, and the Prince of Orange, 40000, yet he was fure he could not be forc'd, whereas he took his Army to be stronger than that of the Prince. But not withstanding the many Difadvantages from an Army drawn fo fuddenly together, fo hafty a March as that of the Dutch, and Pofts taken with fo much Force, and Fortified with fo much Industry; his Highness, upon Sunday the 17th of August in the Morning, decamp'd with The Battle his own and the Confederate Armies from Soignes, of Mons, march'd towards Roches, and from thence advanc'd or S. Dentowards the Enemy, whofe Right Wing was pofted nis, Aug. at the Abbey of St. Dennis, and the Left at Mamoy the 17th. St. Pierre, with fuch advantage of Situation, that they were almost thought Inacceffible. About Twelve the Cannon began to play upon St. Dennis, and the Prince went to Dinner in the open Field, juft as the Duke of Monmouth arriv'd in the Camp: At the fame time the Duke of Luxemburgh was ca roufing with his Officers, when the Princes's Dragoons, like rude intruding Guefts, penetrated into the Abbey, and having forc'd the French General to rife from Table in Confufion, feiz'd on his Plate,

and