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ders, the Count de Winditfgratz the Emperor's Ple- A. C. nipotentiary, the Count de Prela Doria Envoy Ex- 1691. traordinary from the Duke of Savoy, the Ministers of the Elec or Palatine, of the Electors of Saxony, Mentz, Trier, and Cologne, and of feveral other Princes being arriv'd at the Hague to concert Measures with King William, in order to preferve the Liberties of Europe, His Majefty reprefented to them: "That King Wil the imminent Dangers they found themfelves in, liam's fufficiently difcover'd the Errors that had been Speech to committed, fo that he needed not ufe any Arguments to fhew them the Neceflity of taking more juft and better Meafures; That in the Circumftances they were in, it was not a time to deliberate, bur act; That the Enemy was Mafter of all the Chief Fortreffes that were the Barrier of the Common Liberty; and that he would quickly poffefs himself of all the reft, if a Spirit of Divifion, Slowness, and particular Intereft continued among them. That every one ought to remain perfwaded, that their respective particular Interefts were compriz'd in the general one; That the Enemics Forces were very ftrong, and that they would carry things like a Torrent before them. That it was in vain to oppofe Complaints and fruitlefs Clamours, or unprofitable Proteftations against Unjuftice; That it was neither the Refolution of a Barren Diet, nor the hopes of 'fome Men of Fortune, arifing from frivolous Foundations, but Soldiers, ftrong Armies, and a 'prompt and fincere Union between all the Forces of the Allies that must do the Work; and that thefe too must be brought to oppofe the Enemy without any delay, if they would put a stop to his Conquefts, and fnatch out of his Hands the Liberty of Europe, which he held already under a heavy Yoke. Concluding, That, as for himself, he 'would neither fpare his Credit, Forces, nor Perfon, to concurr with them in fo juft and neceffary a Defign; and that he would come in the Spring at the Head of the Troops, faithfully to make good his Royal Word, which he had fo folemnly engag'd to them.

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A. C.

This Speech from a Prince, to whom all the 1691. Perfons that compos'd that illuftrious Affembly paid a refpectful Deference, and in whofe Judg

ment and Experience they entirely confided, could

not but produce the defir'd Effect; and thereupon The Em- it was refolv'd that* Two Hundred Twenty Two peror was Thoufand Men fhould be employ'd against France. te furnish The German Princes having been feveral times magnificently treated, not only by his Majefty, but likewife by my Lord Steward, and the other EnzKing of lifh Peers, they feparated with mutual SatisfactiSpain in on, and the King prepar'd to return Home.

Twenty Thousand Men. The

Flanders,

20000.

The King of England 20000. The States General 35000. The Duke of Savoy and the Troops of Milan 20000. The Elector of Bavaria 18000. The Elector of Saxony_12000. The Landtgrave of Helle 8000. The Circles of Suabia and Franconia 10000. The Duke of Wirtemberg 6000. The Elector of Brandenburg 20000. The Prince of Liege 6000. The Bishop of Munster 7000. The Ele For Palatine 4000. The Princes of Lunenburg 16000. In all, 222000.

About the middle of March, N. S.

The early and unexpected Motions of the French did not only put a fudden ftop to King William's Journey for England, but alfo convince the Confederates of the wholefomnefs of the Maxim His Britannick Majefty had lately laid down, That it was not a time to deliberate, but to act: which the Fas eft & King of France knew beft how to put in Praab Hofte tice. For on the 15th of March a Detachment of doceri

Mons be

French Cavalry invefted the ftrong and important City of Mons, before which Place his moft Chriftian Majefty arriv'd himfelf Six Days after, ac. companied by the Dauphin, the Duke of Orleans, and the Duke de Chartres. The next Day the fieg'd by Trenches were open'd; by the 26th they were adthe K. of vanc'd about 150 Paces on each fide; and the France infame day the French attack'd the Mill of Hion, with Perfon. the Redoubt that cover'd it, which after a double Repulfe they valiantly carried by main Force. At the fame time the Beficgers rais'd large Batteries, and with Th.cefcore Pieces of Cannon, and Five and Twenty Mortars made terrible havock in the

Town.

Town. The Garrison within confifted of about A. C. Six Thoufand Horfe and Foot, commanded by the 1691. Prince de Bergue, who was not wanting in his Duty; but notwithstanding the ftout Reliftance of the Befieg'd, the French were advanc'd fo far by the first of April, that having filled up the Ditch of an imperfect Horn work, on the South fide of the Town towards the Gate of Barlemont, they boldly affaulted that Out-work, and after the lofs of a great many Men, began to make a Lodgment upon it. Thereupon the Befieg'd, headed by fome of their braveft Officers, attempted to be beat them off, and in Effect conftrain'd the Work men and the Grenadiers that fupported them to give way; but at laft the Affaillants regain'd their Poft, drove the Enemy into the Town, and pufh'd on the Siege with fo much the greater vigour, as that they were inform'd that the King of England, was advancing to raise it.

His Britannick Majefty upon the News of the French having invelted Mons, return'd from Loo to the Hague, on the 21st of March (N. S.) from which laft Place he difpatch'd Prince Waldeck to Hall, near Bruffels. where the Forces that were drawing together for the relief of Mons, had their general Rendezvous. On the 26th His Majesty went to Breda, having before his departure nam'd the General Officers that were to command the Army; from Breda he advanc'd to Vilvoerd, and on the 6th of April arriv'd at Hall, where tho' he had an Army of near Fifty Thoufand Men, yet he found that thro' the neglect of the Spaniards, there was nothing provided for his Expedition: no not fo much as the neceffary Carriages.

In the mean time the Siege of Mons was carried on with indifferent Succefs, for the French had only gain'd a Horn-Work, and there ftill remain'd two Half-Moons for them to take before they could come to the Counterfcarp of the Place; nav, in the attack they made upon one of thefe Half Moons, the 7th of April at Night, they were repuls'd with confiderable lofs; but the Burghers being terrified by the Enemies Bombs, which had burnt part of

the

1691.

A. C. the Town, and their Fears being improv'd by the influence of their Priefts, the principal of them with two Abbots went to the Governor, and preffed him to capitulate. The Governor who was confident he might hold out Eight or Ten Days longer, having had but Three or Four Hundred Men kill'd during the Siege, and wanting neither Ammunition nor Provisions, refus'd to comply with their Demands; whereupon they fent a Drum of their own to beat a Parley, and threatned to open the Gates, and to deliver both him and the Garrifon into the Befieger's Hands. Things being carried to this Extremity, the Governor confented Surrender'd at laft to capitulate, and furrendred the Town upon very honourable Conditions. Whereupon King William immediately left the Army, return'd to the Hague, embarked for England, and fafely arK. Willi- riv'd at Whitehall on the 13th of April (O. S.)

Mons

to the

French.
April 10.

NS.

am returns

se Eng

land. Lanca

fhire Plot baffled.

Another

Plot on

feat.

*

Let us now look back upon what pafs'd here during His Majeftics Abfence. Towards the latter end of the Year 1689. King James and his Popish Councel in Ireland laid the Foundation of the Lancashire Plot, having fent over Commiflions into that, and other Northern Counties to raise an Army, which His Majefty engaged himself to head in Perfon in Auguft 1690. But the Plat being difcover'd by fome of the Confederates, and foon after effectually baffled by that Monarch's Defeat at the Boyne; another Project was fet on Foot by the Jacobites in England for His Majefty's Restoration; and that was to gain Affiftance from France* to invade England. To compafs this End, the leading Men of the Party, in all Counties, immediately repair'd to London, and there confulted what new Measures were to be taken, after this fatal and unexpected difappointment by King William's Victory in Ireland: And be* See Lord caufe the Confpirators were then generally speaking Prefton's of but one Faction; it was refolv'd that the Plot Trial. to restore the Abdicated King fhould be laid wider, extended farther, and more Interefts be united in private Cabals of their most confiderable Friends, Lords, and Gentlemen, both Whigs and Tories, and that at every Meeting they fhould propofe and debate the

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moit effectual ways to bring their Design about; A. C. and when come to a Refolution, they fhould tranf- 1691. mit their Sentiments to the Royal Club, (as they call it) in Covent-Garden, and they felect the molt rational among the various Opinions, and digeft them into fuch Methods for Practife, as fhould govern the whole Party. The Refult of their feveral Confultations was, Firft, That the Jacobites being unable to reinthrone the late King by their own Strength, they should endeavour to obtain Affistance from France, who had formerly made them fuch Promises; and, Secondly, Since delays were dangerous, fending Letters into France hazardous, the Court at St. Germains factious and treacherous, that fome Men of Quality and known Ability fhould go over into France to tranfact that Matter for the whole Party. This Project having the Approbation of the leading Club in December 1690. The Lord Prefton, Mr. Afhton, and Mr. Elliot, were pitch'd upon as proper Perfons to be fent into France. Some would have had their Number encreas'd; but were over-ruled by this ftanding Maxim among them; Chafe well," Lord but have to do but with a few, for a multitude may give, Preston's but can never keep Councel.

Thefe Gentlemen thus appointed by the Party,The contrihaving hir'd a Veffel of Mrs. Jane Prat of Berkin, vance dif in Ex, for their Tranfportation into France, went cover'd. *** on Board her near Battle-Bridge; but the whole* Dec. 30. Plot being difcover'd, the Government order'd 1690. Captain Billop to attend their Motion; who accordingly fuffer'd them to fail below Gravefend, and then boarded and took them. In Mr. Afhton's Bofom were found a Packet of Letters and Papers, whereby it appear'd, that they were going to France to promote the treasonable Designs of that Party against the King and Queen, to invade the Realm, subvert the Government, and restore the late King by the Affiftance of French Forces. In January 1691, the Jan. 16. Lord Prefton and Mr. † Ashton were brought to Jan. 19. their Trials at the Old Baily, and being found Guil. Mr. Ahty of High-Treason, receiv'd the Sentence of Con ton execu demnation; upon which Mr. Afhten was Executed, ted Jan.28. but the Lord Prefton, thro' the interceffion of his

illuftrious

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