Germans; that the Marshal de Bezons had passed the Rhine with twentyfive thousand men near Fort Lewis. and was marching towards Offenburgh, to join the troops that are passed near that place; that Friburgh was invested, and abundance of ammunition carrying to the army from our magazines."

From Schafhausen, "That the Germans have been much alarmed for some days past by the French passing the Rhine, and advancing towards Friburgh, in order to besiege that place; that a great many men from those parts fled thither with their effects, and that it was the general opinion that the French had a design also against Villengen."

From Frankfort, "That, in all probability, the French design to besiege Friburgh, to attack the Germans middle line and Villengen at the same time, and afterwards to make an irruption into Swabia, in order to take" Winter quarters there." This news-monger adds, “We have not yet the particulars of the loss of the Germans, and, perhaps, never shall."

Is not this one of the most happy postures of affairs, that the enemies of our constitution have been blessed with since the campaign of the Dauphin, when the Palatinate was turned into a heap of ruins, and a sea of blood? On one hand, the Turks are invading Poland, on another the French wintering in Swabia, while the Spaniards are chastising the rebels of Catalonia. What joy does it give this wretch, and his abettors? You see I have not put my invention to the rack, the fact is before you; and you will easily know what judgment to make of those men, who, out of complacency to a new friend, so merrily give up an old one to destruction.

I am apt to think that it is for an old grudge against the Germans, that these men rejoice so at their present disasters. It is well known the German princes were in the secret of the Prince of Orange's expedition to relieve us; that the Emperor Leopold not only refused to assist King James, when he was in France, but told him plainly, that he deserved no assistance from him, or any other prince in Christendom, in a letter he wrote him of the ninth of April, 1689, which that King's friends, and the friends to France, could never forgive either in him, or his posterity. His Imperial Majesty upbraids King James with his hearkening to French councils, with suffering the infractions of the treaty of Nimeguen of which he was guarantee, and many other such offences, which are too hard for the ears of those, who look upon King James and King Lewis, as the only given of God. I shall give the reader a passage or two of that letter, that we may see what an enemy the Germans have all along had to do with. His Imperial Majesty having represented to King James, how his ambassador Count Caunitz had often shewn him what would be the ill effects of his affection to France, and the like, proceeds thus: 'We also caused it to be laid before you, that our religion has not suffered more by any one, than by the French themselves, because they not only think it lawful for them to join their treacherous arms with the sworn enemies of the holy cross, to the intire ruin of us, and the whole Christian world; to destroy the designs we

*See a copy of this letter on page 18 of this collection.

had formed for the glory of God, and to hinder the progress it pleased his almighty arms to biess us with, but also to add, in the empire itself, perjury to perjury, and perfidy to perfidy; to exhaust, by unheard-of exactions, the cities that surrendered to them by composition against articles agreed to, and signed by the Dauphin; after which, they have ruined, rased, and burnt the palaces of princes, that had all along been spared in the most bloody wars; plundered churches, carried into slavery, after the fashion of barbarians, those that voluntarily yielded to them; and acted as out of wantonness, even in Catholick countries, other dreadful examples of cruelty and inhumanity, which surpass even the tyranny of the Turks. Such are the Emperor's expressions as faithful as I could translate them; such the enemies that, as the Postboy promises his friends, are to have their winter quarters in the heart of Germany; such and perhaps worse may be the terrors they will spread, and the destruction they will make, with the hopes of which the faction, he flatters, are so delighted. And to what purpose, may the readers: say, is your putting us in mind of all this misery? Can we prevent it? We are as well informed of the necessity of saving the empire from the domination of France. Tell us which way, is it to be done, but by the Emperor's accepting of the terms the French will condescend to grant him; that is, the leaving Strasburgh in their custody, and Germany exposed to the continual insults of her irreconcileable enemy. I do not believe there is a man in England, that, ask him cooly, What he thinks would become of us, were the Germans subdued by the French? could answer the question, without trembling. But then the well-wishers to our constitution, and to peace, put that time afar off, and flatter themselves some lucky or unlucky hit, on this side, or that, may interfere and save the empire, Alas! Does her safety depend on her luck? Has she been warring above twenty years, and won so many victories, to have her liberty depend on her fortune? Or indeed is it in fortune's power to do that for her alone, which was with so much difficulty and danger done for her by her confederates?

The clemency of our sovereign gave peace to France; and there is no doubt but her generosity can again give a deliverance to Germany. France is not already in so flourishing a condition, that she dares be ungrateful to a prince, who has so sensibly obliged her; and her Majesty's interposition cannot but be effectual, when her royal wisdom thinks fit. In the mean while, it is with the utmost abhorrence that one see Britons espousing the quarrel of the French, and abandoning a barrier to them, which is in some measure their own: For there is not one of the allies, whose interest it is not to maintain the present settlements in Great Britain, and consequently, the stronger any one of them is, the stronger are we; and, the weaker, the more does it add to our weak

ness.

Since the foregoing pages were written, we hear that the Marshals de Villars and de Bezons are passed the Rhine with one hundred and sixty thousand men, and have at once laid siege to Friburgh and Villengen, which they doubt notto be masters of, in a few days; that they raise contributions for thirty miles about, and, coming after a plentiful harvest into Germany, have such abundance of provisions, in their

VOL, XI,

camp, that, if their armies were in the most fruitful province of France, they could not fare better; that those two conquests will open them a way to Ulm, a town consisting of timber buildings, which two or three bombs will reduce either to ashes or obedience; that Prince Eugene is forced to give way to this superior power, and is not strong enough to hinder the French from advancing to Bavaria; and that the court of France are so far from thinking of peace, that they have resolved to raise fifty thousand men more this winter, so that, by the next campaign, they may have, with the forces that are to take up their quarters in Germany, with the army that may join them from Catalonia and Rousillon, and with the reinforcement of their new levies, two hundred thousand men on the frontiers of Bavaria to take possession of Vienna, the capital of the empire, to keep it themselves, or to give it to whom they please. Nor are these views visionary, if nothing is done on this side in favour of the Emperor. I would ask the most sanguine friend to the house of Austria, What can stop the French in their career? What town take them a month's time to conquer? And what power deliver the Germans from a French yoke?

After which, the pretender will have no need to turn protestant, he may keep his religion; and his chaplain Lesley may change his too; we may not stand upon niceties. If Dunkirk should happen not to be intirely demolished, who shall demand its demolition? If King Philip has a mind to Port-Mahon and Gibralter, who shall detain them? If Portugal has a word to say for herself, will she not be told of the usurpation of the house of Braganza? If Holland should pretend to meddle with other folks matters, she will be remembered of the Prince of Orange's rebellion; and that the seven provinces themselves are part of the succession of Burgundy. We know what is the moderation of France, when she is at liberty to act as she pleases; and when we have no friend to help us abroad; and what friend can we have when the empire is in chains? What will it avail us to have treaties of peace and commerce? To have acquired so much glory, in the late war; to have many good laws to secure our religion and liberties? What will it avail the Dutch to have so extended a barrier, to have garisons in so many strong towns?

It is in the memory of many of them, that, in the campaign of 1667, the French King over-ran Flanders, and, in two or three months, took as many, and as strong towns, as have been yielded to them by their last treaty; yet the French were so far from being masters of Germany, that they were not in possession of Alsace. Strasburgh was between them and the empire, and the Germans could, at any time, come to the relief of Flanders, then under the dominion of the house of Austria. If it be objected that we should not fright ourselves with these fears, that they are remote, and that the French do not intend to conquer Germany, but only to oblige the Emperor to come into the peace: All that I must say is, that it does not seem to be prudent and politick, to rely wholly on the good disposition of a nation, whom we have been beating for ten years together; which certainly must put them out of humour with us, and we may depend upon it, we shall pay for it, whenever they can make us; and they will never be able to make us as long as there is any power in Europe besides us, of which they stand in fear.

A SATYR

On the Earl of Oxford, Lord Bolingbr-k, Mr. Moor, and Mr. Prior.

LADY HENRIETTA-CAVENDISH HOLLES HARLEY,

In the Library of St. John's College, Cambridge, November the 9th, Ann. 1719. By Mr. PRIOR.

MADAM,

INCE ANNA visited our Muses seat,

SINCE

(Around her tomb let weeping angels wait) Hail THOU, the brightest of thy sex, and best,

Most gracious neighbour, and most welcome guest.

し

* Oxford, Bolingbrook, Moor, Prior. + Massam. + Moor.

Il Prior.

Not HARLEY's self to Cam and Isis dear,
In virtues and in arts great OXFORD's heir,
Not he such present honours shall receive,
As to his Consort we aspire to give.

Writings of men our thought to-day neglects,
To pay due homage to the softer sex:
Plato and Tully we forbear to read,

And their great followers whom this house has bred,
To study lessons from thy morals given,
And shining characters, impress'd by Heaven.
Science in books no longer we pursue,
Minerva's self in HARRIET's face we view;
For, when with beauty we can virtue join,
We paint the semblance of a form divine.

Their pious incense let our neighbours bring,
To the kind mem'ry of some bounteous King;
With grateful hand, due altars let them raise
To some good knight's, or holy prelate's praise;
We tune our voices to a nobler theme,
Your eyes we bless, your praises we proclaim,
St. John's was founded in a woman's name :
Enjoin'd by statute, to the fair we bow;

In spight of time, we keep our ancient vow;
What Margaret Tudor was, is Harriet Harley now.

AN EPITAPH

ON BONA FIDE,

THE FRENCH KING LEWIS XIV. MS.

HERE lies an old man, of seventy-seven,

Who dy'd as he liv'd, yet hoped for Heaven: In faith and good works (those two saving things) He out-did all potentates, princes, and kings; There's Utrecht, and Reswick, and Spanish Partition, Old Renunciation, and new Demolition. And, for his good works, no man did the like, They began at Landau, and did end at Mardyke. Then, as to his sins, the Jesuits make good, That he got remission by shedding much blood. Some thought him immortal, some honest and just, Yet he rotted and dy'd in the month of August, As did his good sister, now moulder'd to dust.