A. C. 1709. The French King's Cir cular Let ters to the Governors of his Pro vinces. Great Penfionary, how much all the Allies were oblig'd to him, and fatisfy'd with the Prudence and Wisdom he had exprefs'd in the Negotiations ; which, contrary to the Expectation of the Enemy, would prove a new Cement to the Grand Alliance, and an Argument to convince the Allies. That the War was to be profecuted 'till France was reduc'd to the Neceflity of fubmitting to any Terms that the Allies would prefcribe. The States of Holland and Weftfriezland having met on the 13th, ratify'd the Preliminary Articles concluded with the Minifters of France, without Regard to their Master's having refus'd to fign them. After which the Affembly unanimously refolv'd to carry on the War with the utmost Vigour; and the States-General directed, that a fe cond Edict fhould be publish'd, to prohibit the Tranfportation of Corn to the Enemies Country, and to regulate the manner of Conveying it to Places that were in Friendship with the State. While the Generality of People, both in Great-Britain, Holland and Germany, exprefs'd their Refentment against the Infincerity and infidious Proceedings of France, that crafty Court made a politick Ufe of the very Arti cles Preliminary, which were made publick in fe veral Languages by the Allies: For, in order both to raise among the People an Indignation against thofe exorbitant Demands, and encourage them to bear with lefs Impatience the Burden and Calamities of the War, the French King caus'd the following Circular Letter to be written to all the Governours of his Provinces. COUSIN, THE Hopes of an Approaching Peace were fo generally spread in my Kingdom, that out of Regard to the Loyalty my People have exprefs'd during the whole Courfe of my Reign, I think my felf oblig'd to give them the Comfort of acquaint them with the Reafons which still hinder their Enjoying the Repose I defign'd to procure to them. ing In order to reftore the fame, I would have accept ⚫ed Conditions very oppofite to the Security of my Frontier Provinces; but the more Facility and Defire I have fhewn to diffipate the Umbrages which my Enemies affect to preferve of my Power and Defigns, the more have they multiplied their Pre tenfions; Pretenfions; infomuch, that by Degrees, adding new Demands to the First, and making ufe either of the Duke of Savoy's Name, or of the Interest of the Princes of the Empire, they have at once let me fee, That they had no other Intention than to increase, at the Expence of my Crown, the States bordering upon France, and to open to themfelves eafie Ways to penetrate into the Heart of my King'dom, as often as it would fuit with their Intereft to begin a new War. Nor would the War I now maintain, and was willing to have ended, have ceafed, had I confented to the Propofals they have Imade to me; for they fixed within two Months the 'Term, wherein I was on my Part, to execute the Treaty; and, during that Interval, they pretended to oblige me to deliver up to them the Places they demanded of Me in the Low-Countries and Alface and to raze thofe, on the Demolishing whereof they infifted; refufing on their Part, to enter into any other Engagements, than the Sufpenfion of all Acts of Hoftility, 'till the First Day of Auguft, and Re ferving to themfelves the Liberty of Acting then by Force of Arms, in cafe the King of Spain, my Grand-Son, perfifted in the Refolution of defending 'the Crown God has given him, and rather to perifh than abandon faithful People, who for Nine Years, have acknowledg'd him as their Lawful 'King. Such a Sufpenfion, more dangerous than War it felf, would rather put off than forward Peace; for it would not only have been neceffary to continue the fame Expence for the Maintenance of my Armies; but as foon as the Term of the Suf penfion of Arms would have expir'd, my Enemies would have attack'd me with the new Advantages, they would have taken from the Towns, into which 'I fhould have introduc'd them my felf, at the fame 'time that I fhould have demolish'd those that are 'Bulwarks to fome of the Frontier Provinces. I pafs over in Silence the Proposals they have infinuated to me, of joining my Forces with thofe of the Confederates; and to compel my Grand-Son to defcend the Throne, if he did not voluntarly confent to live for the future without Dominions, and to 'reduce himself to the Condition of a private Man. It is against Humanity to believe, that they had A. C. 1709. A. C. 1709. even the Thought of engaging me in fuch an Alliance with them; but altho' the Tenderness I have for my People be as hearty as for my own Chil dren; altho' I bear a Part in all the Ills which the War makes fuch faithful Subjects undergo; and "I have fhewn to all Europe, that I fincerely defir'd to make 'em enjoy Peace, I am perfuaded they would themselves oppofe the Acceptance of it, on 'Conditions equally oppofite to Juftice, and to the Honour of the French Name. It is therefore my Intention, That all those who, for fo many Years paft, give me Demonstrations of their Zeal, by contributing with their Labours, Fortunes and Blood, towards the Maintaining of fo heavy a War, may know, That the only Value my Enemies pretended to fet on the Offers I was willing to make to them, was a Sufpenfion of Arms, which, being stinted to the Space of two Months, would have procur'd to 'em more confiderable Advantages than they may expect from the Confidence they put in their Troops. As I repofe mine in the "Protection of God, hoping that the Purity of my Intentions will draw the Divine Bleffing on my Arms; fo I write to the Archbishops and Bishops of my Kingdom, to excite again the Fervency of Prayers in their respective Dioceses; and at the fame time, I order you to acquaint my People within the Extent of your Government, That they would enjoy Peace, if it had been in my Power, as it was in my Will, to procure to them a Good they wish for with 'Reafon, but which must be obtain'd by new Efforts, 'fince the exorbitant Conditions I would have granted are useless towards the Restoring of the publick Tranquillity. I therefore leave it to your Prudence to make my Intentions known, in fuch a manner as you fhall judge convenient: And fo, Coufin, I pray God to have you in his Holy Keeping. At the fame time, the King of France wrote ano ther Circular Letter to the Archbishop of Paris, and the other Prelates of his Kingdom, as follows COUSIN, COUSIN, 1 Have look'd upon, as one of the principal Du"ties incumbent on me, the Care of procuring Repose to my People, at a time when the Calamities of the War are not the only Evils with which it has pleafed God to afflict my Kingdom; but whatever Offers I have made to my Enemies, for, the Reftoring of the Publick Tranquillity, I have found by their Anfwers, that, confiding in their Troops, their Views are ftill oppofite to the Con'tributing towards the Peace of Europe. Now, confidering that the Events of this Campaign are to decide the Matter; that the fame are entirely in God's Hands; that his Holy Religion is attack'd by my Enemies; and that his Concerns are aban 'don'd even by thofe who ought to maintain then, with the greatest Zeal, I have reafon to hope, that he will be pleafed to give me new Marks of his 'Divine Protection, fince he knows the Purity of my Intentions, and the Sacrifices I was refolv'd to 'make for the Repofe of fo many Nations. We muft, in the mean time, with no lefs Confidence 'than Humility, implore his Mercy, in order to obtain the Influence thereof. Wherefore, it is my 'Intention, that you ftill excite the Devotion of the 'People of your Diocefe, by ordering new Prayers for the Profperity of my Arms, and a happy Conclufion of the PEACE. And not doubting your, "Zeal on this Occafion, I pray God, Coufin, to have you in his Holy Keeping. Done at Verfailles, the 12th of June, 1709. Sign'd LEWIS, A. C. 1709. It is to be obferv'd, that the breaking off of the Monf. de Negotiations of Peace, was foon attended with the Chamil lard in Dife Difgrace of Monfieur de Chamillard, the King's Prime Minister, and even with fome Coldnefs towards grace. Madam de Maintenon, who were both faid to have given larger Inftructions to Monfieur de Rouille, and the Marquis de Torcy, than either his Moft Christian Majelly intended, or was thought fitting by the young Princes of the Blood. It is alfo remarkable, that while the Terms of a General Peace were nego tiating, the French were using all imaginable En C deavours A. C. deavours to tempt the Firmnefs of the Duke of Sa 1709. voy, by very large Offers and Promifes; and the Miniffer of that Prince at the Hague, communicated Endea *June 6. N. S. to thofe of the Allies, Copies of a Letter their Mavours used fter had receiv'd from Rome, by which it appear'd, by France That the Pope left no Stone unturn'd to bring his to tempt Royal Highnefs over to King Philip's Interest; at the Duke of the fame time, that the Papal Court enter'd into Savoy ineffectual. folemn Engagements, to acknowledge King Charles's Title to the Crown of Spain. But the Minister of Savoy did, * by his Mafter's exprefs Order, declare to the States Deputies, that he would not give the leaft heed to any Overtures or Advantages that might be propos'd to him, being entirely fatisfied with what he had ftipulated for himself, when he enter'd into the Grand Alliance; and that he would continue inviolably firm to the Allies, and exert his utmost Efforts against the common Enemy. This Difcovery of the Endeavours of France to draw off the Duke of Savoy from the Grand Alliance, came very opportunely, to expofe the ill Intentions of that Court; who had the Modefty to reject that Article of the Preliminaries by which the Allies ftipulated a Barrier for the Duke of Savoy, only for the neceffary Prefervation of the Peace of Europe, on that fide ; and, at the very fame time, were offering much grea ter Advantages to his Royal Highnefs, to induce The Artifi- him to leave the Peace of Europe at their Mercy: But ces of the their Artifices were defeated by the Penetration and French Confummate Wildom of the Minifters of the Allies; defeated by particularly of Prince Eugene and the Duke of Marl the Mini- borough, whofe Character fhone brightest in this mefters of the morable Negotiation: For they treated the Peace Character as they managed the War; and let the French MiPr. Eu- nifters, as they did their Generals, rack their Brains, gene and and diforder their Spirits, by keeping them in per the Duke of petual Hurry and Motion, upon this Stratagem, Marlbo and t'other Device; whilft, with the cooleft Temper rough. and the openeft Conduct, they pursued their Point, and carried it by the plain Force of Virtue. This was plainly the Cafe: The French, who cunningly propos'd to difunite the Allies, by fetting on foot thefe Negotiations of Peace, were caught themselves in the Preliminaries; which were fo contriv'd for the particular Satisfaction of each of the High Allies," and the common Security of them all, that they Allies. were |