manding their Advice, they gave it unanimously, A. C. Thar the Peace fhould be made. On the 12th of February (New Stile) 1674. His Majefty of Great Britain receiv'd the certain Advice of the States having pafs'd a Refolution, That the Charges and Dignities Poffefs'd by the Prince of Orange and his Ancestors, fhould become Hereditary to his Children. And at the fame time he alfo receiv'd a Letter from the States, with the defire of Paffports for the Ambaffadors whom they were refolv'd to fend to His Majefty with Inftructions and Powers to Treat and Conclude a Peace; and, in the mean time, they offer'd a Sufpenfion of Arms. This offer coming upon the Neck of the Parliament's Advice to His Majefty to enter into a Treaty with the Spanifo Ambassador upon the Propofitions he had advanc'd, and which the King had order'd to be fent to the Parliament, it was not believ'd by the Minifters that a Treaty could be refus'd without drawing too much Odium upon themfelves, and Reflection upon the Government. On the other fide, it was fufpected what Practices might be fet on foot by Dutch Ambaffadors, upon the general Discontent reigning against the prefent War. Therefore that very Afternoon a Refolution was taken at the Foreign Committee, to fend, rather than to receive an Embaffie upon this Subject, and that Sir William Temple fhould be the Perfon employ'd ; and accordingly the King gave him his Commands, with many Expreffions of Kindnefs and Confidence. Sir William told the King, he was ready to Obey him, with a great deal of Pleasure to fee His Majefty returning to the Measures upon which he had formerly ferv'd him; but that he might do it the better, he Begg'd of His Majefty that he might go over without the Character of Ambaffador, which would Delay or Embarrass him with Preparations of Equipage, and with Ceremonies there, that were unneceffary to fo fudden a Dispatch. His Majefty thought what Sir William Temple faid very Pertinent, and fo order'd that he should go as Plenipotentionary; but that he should have in 1674 A. C. in all kinds the Appointment of Ambaffador, and 1674. that he fhould take upon him the Character too Sir W. 7. &c. when the Peace was Concluded. Within three Days Sir William Temple was ready; Temple's and the Morning his Difpatches were fo too, the Memoirs, p. Marquefs of Frezno, Spanish Ambaffador, fent My Lord Arlington word, that he had receiv'd full Power from the States to Treat and Conclude a Peace, and was ready to enter upon it wherever His Majefty pleas'd. The Lord Arlington furpriz'd, was at firft of Opinion the King fhould go on in his own way, and give the Spaniards no part in this Affair; Sir William Temple, who happen'd to be with the Lord Arlington when the Meffage came, was of another Mind, and that befides the Point of Honour which was clear, in having the Peace made rather at London than at the Hague, he thought that of Intereft might be better purfued. Befides, he believ'd the Spaniard would Play fair in a Game, that he thought fo much his own, and not fuffer the Dutch to ftop at any fmall Points, especially thofe of Honour, whereof that of the Flag (tho fuch) was one His Majefty ought to lay most to Heart. The Lord Arlington agreed with Sir William; who having acquainted the King with it, His Majefty feem'd pleas'd with the Change, and told him, That fince he did not Treat of the Peace at the Hague, he fhould however at London, and bid him go and Acquaint the Marquis of Frezno with his Refolution. Peace con Sir William Temple having receiv'd his Inftrucluded be- ctions, went to the Marquis of Frezno, and at tween Eng-three Meetings concluded the whole Treaty, with land and Satisfaction to His Majefty, and Transport to the Holland. Marquis, upon fo great an Honour, as he thought Feb. 1674 it, to himself, and the Fortunes he expected upon it from his Mafter. The two Points of greateft Difficulty were that of the Flag, and the recalling all English Troops from the French Service. This laft was compos'd by private Engagements to fuffer thofe that were there to wear out without any Recruits, and permit no new ones to go over; but at the fame time to give leave for luch Le vies as the States fhould think fit to make in His Majefties Dominions, both of English and Scotch Regiments. The other of the Flag was carried to all the height His Majefty could wifh, and thereby a Claim of the Crown of England, the acknowledgment of its Dominion in the Narrow Seas, allow'd by the Treaty to the English, from the most powerful of their Neighbours at Sea, which had never yet been yielded by the weakest of them. The Sum of Money given His Majefty by the States, tho' it was not confiderable in it felf, and lefs to the King, by the greatest part of it being applied to the Prince of Orange's Satisfaction for his Mother's Portion, that had never been Paid;" yet it gave the King the whole Honour of the Peace, as the Sum given by the Parliament upon it, and the general Satisfaction of his People made the Ease of it. After the Peace was made, King Charles's first Care was to foften the Stroke as much as he could towards France, which was done by representing the Neceffities of it, (that wanted no falfe Colours) and, at the fame time, to offer his Mediation between the Parties remaining ftill in War, in Cafe France, either defir'd or accepted of it. A. C. 1674. The French who began to wish the War well ended, thought fit to accept and approv'd the King of England's offer of Mediation; that of Sweden being ended by the Affembly at Cologne's breaking up, in Expoftulations and Quarrels upon the Emperor's feizing the Perfon of Prince William of Furftemburgh, a Subject of the Empire. Thereupon His Britannick Majefty dispatch'd Sir William Temple to Holland, with the Charge of his Temple Ambaffador Extraordinary, to offer his Mediation goes over Anbaffa there, as the Scene of the Confederates Common der to Councils, and by their Means to endeavour the Holland. Acceptance of it by the rest of the Princes con-July cern'd in the War. Whilft these things were tranfacting in England, General Rabenhaupt with the Militia of Frizeland and Groningen, made himself Mafter of Northom, and from thence advancing to Tuvent, took feve ral Sir W 1674. A. C. 1674. The Bishop ral other Places of lefs Importance, defigning to drive all the Munfterians out of that part of the Country, and to that end marched as far as Nienhuys. The Enemy was no fooner inform'd of his March, but they invefted Northom, and beat the advanc'd Guards back into the Town. Of which General Rabenhaupt had no fooner receiv'd Intelligence, but he haften'd back to the Relief of the Place, and forc'd the Enemy to a fwift Retreat. The next Day he return'd to Nienhuys, took the Town by Affault, and forc'd the Caftle to Surrender at Dif cretion. After this Happy Succefs General Rabenhaupt put his fmall Body of an Army into Winter Quarters, which News being brought to Nagel, General of the Munfterians, he came back again, and retook the Place for the Bishop his Munfter. However, the Bishop of Munfter apprehending of Mun- the doubtful Iffue of the War, or rather fearing fter makes the Approach of the Imperialists, prevented the imPeace with pending Danger by a timely Peace with the Emthe Empe- peror; which fo alarm'd the French, who were Overyffel. ftill in Poffeffion of their Frontier Towns in the Low-Countries, that the Marquifs de Bellefonds, who fuccceded the Marfhal d'Humieres in the Government of the Conquer'd Provinces, refolv'd to abandon the reft, pretending he had occafion for the Men to keep the Conquefts they had upon Whereupon the Rhine. Befides, having receiv'd Information the French that the Prince of Orange, upon the Strength and quit the Heart of the Peace with England, had concerted with the German and Spanish Troops to begin an Offenfive War, and at the Head of an Army of near 5oooo Men to March into France, inftead of Fortifying the Places of his Government, he began to Demolish them. Thiel Compounded for 22000 Florins, to preferve themfelves from Fire and Plunder and fave their Fortifications; the Town of Zutphen promis'd 70000, and deliver'd Holtages for the Security of the Payment. Arnheim Paid a Ranfom of 26000 Florins, and 4000 Sacks of Corn and Meal; and Deventer Paid 6000 Rix Dollars to the Bishop of Munster. Thus the whole whole Province of Overy fel regain'd its Ancient Li- A. C. berty, and return'd to its Natural and Lawful So- 1674veraigns. After which the Prince of Orange fent n Commiffioners thither to make fome neceffary. Changes, and regulate Affairs, till fuch time as he had an Opportunity to come himfelf in Perfon, to make a lafting Settlement che-Com The King of France feem'd highly difpleas'd TheFrench with the Conduct of the Marquis de Bellefonds, King seizes whom therefore he Banifh'd to Bourges, although the Franall the World knew this was only a meer pretence to conceal his prefent Neceflities, and that he was forc'd to drain his Garrifons in the Low Countries to Reinforce his Army, which he intended for the Conqueft of the Franche-Comté, refolving to gain in one place what he had loft in another. Accordingly his most Christian Majefty entred the Franche-Comté with a Prodigious Army, which joyning with another that was Commanded by the Prince of Conde, became fo formidable, that in a fhort time he made himself Master of Befangon, Dole, Salins, in a Word, of the whole Pro vince. While thefe two Armies were thus joyn'd, the Prince of Orange repair'd with his Army to Bergen-op-zoom, from whence he march'd to Mecblin, and kept himself on his Guard all the time the King of France was in the Field. But this Monarch being return'd to Paris after his new Con. quefts, which coft him many brave Officers, the Imperialists threw themselves into Namur, took the Castle, and Dinant, and by this means the Paffage of the Meufe being open'd, they went to joyn the Army of the Confederates towards the end of July. The three Generals, after a fhort Conference, order'd that the Count de Souches, with the German Troops, fhould lead the Van; the Prince of Vaudemont and Count Monterey, with the Spaniards, the Rear; and Count Waldeck, with the Dutch, the Main Battle; with whom the Prince march'd, and Commanded the whole Confederate Army. In this order the Confederates,to the Number of near 60000, prepar'd to attack the Prince of Condé, who with an Army of so000 Men was Encamp'd |