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Letter from j4ix la Chappely DETECTING The Late Secret Negociations there ; Accounting for the Extraordinary Slownefs of the Operations of the Campaign fince the Aftion at DeTTINGEN ; and, parti- cularly , for the Refignation of the E — 1 of S R. WITH Many other curious Particulars relating to the prefent Broils of Europe. 11 By a Nobleman, diflinguiilied for Integrity and Conftimmate KtKrjoleage in Public Affairs, LONDON: Printed for M. Cooper, in Pater-nqfter^rcw. 1743. [ Price Six Pence. ] f ;; ' ■ 1i X'\ '*'■■■. » .« •1 . i. i i . ; ^- «^ t,; J /. . i ti'- ;. I- ' 1 f ■. ' 1 • ■ I ■ \ *« ' ■ ' ''•■■ * ■ \. < ;> \ , . V. '-» > ' [3] ;.i ) ,0! iX :'? V> Vn,. ■f! *••■'"• i:::! . -^ ;:'"!nr!l i/ J #. ■%*- . (7 1 I <• • ,iq,Jf ip ji g Myjiehous Congrefs. S I R. ;^'' ^J\^fx laChappely f^ Septembers I'J^y OU R Water Drinkers here this Sea- fon feem to verrify the political Fidlion concerning the Waters of Lethe '^ for all is Life and Spirit, Gaity and Mirth, Profufion and Expencc, juft as if the prefent melancholy Scene in Eu- ropehzd been the Reverfe of what it is. There feems to be no Memory, no ideal Traces of the late and prefent Diftra6Vions and Devaf- tations in thefe once happy Regions of Ger" many ; and even the native Germans them- felves feem as infenfible of the Miferies of their Country as we Foreigners, and appear not a whit more anxious about the dreadful Confequencesoftheprf/^??^ dangerous Schemes of the contending Courts. I was many Days in Sufpence concerning this general Spirit of Gaity and Infenfibility 5 I could not fuppofe it to be altogether fpon- taneous, tho' it wore the Appearance of Na- ture, bccaufe it apppeared to me unnatural, A J, that ;. r^v^> "-"ye . <•••■■ '''•'?^ >>»i».\ f^cMif ■*■'*• ■» .- ^ t^-** '■■iA^*^ •J*** [4] I that a numerous Company of People, com- pofed of Individuals or all the different Na- tions of Europe, fhould be a£luated at one time with the fame identical particular Paffi- on : Such, in Reality, it appears throughout the whole People here at prefent. The richer Tradefman, the Artificer .and Peafant feem as unattentiv6 to Cares and Sorrow as the Ba- ron, the Count or Prince. This happy Pro- penfity to Pleafures and Forgetfuloefs is not more confpicuous among the Youth than the Aged, nor among the Men of Drefs and Gallantry, than the Men of Bufinef^^Pt^li- tics and Intrigue. In ihort, 'tis one univerftl Calm all over the Place, one general Sufpea- fion from all manner of FuqSions that cm- ploy the Head, or affeft the Heart. . . /.i^^' - This general, but unufual Serenity, mSdc me fufpeft it rather artificial than natural, notwithftahdihg the uncommon Warmth and Clearnefs of the Air, which undoubtedly continue to infpire Mirth and Chearfulnefi. I know you will look upon this Sufpicion of hiine to be owing to an Oddity in my Tcm-t per, or to that Propenfjty to Speculation, which you often told me would create mc much Occupation and Trouble in the Courfe of my Life. All I fhall fay in my own De- fence, is, that rhy Oddity or Propenfity to fpeculating has often been of Vic to me in tracing out Truth, when it appeared fo inve* loped as to feem out of the Reach of human Underitanding ; and that anj Trouble att;end- 3ng 'ik -t*;..^;'-- ^^^^^^^%!!r-^^^^3»^iP^ It ke •fe I to in re* lan Id- k 1^ ^■??;: isl ihg fuch Refearchcs as mine, even while they fubfiit, is more than compeniiared by the Leach ery of Eypc flat ion, which you,, my Friend, as much as'any Man in Europe^ktiowf by Experience, to be beyond that of Fruition jtlclf. ■ ' • " ' •• To indulge, then, an odd Turn of Thought, which is always attended with Dehght to myfelf, 1 refolved to pry narrowly into the Life and Converfation of the foreign Minify- ters, of whom we. hare here as many as would form a Congrefs for a general Peace. I did not think it impoffible to find amongft forae of thcfe refine Statcfmcn the Source whence allthe fecming carelefs Allacrjtyof this Place imperceptibly iffued. You may be fure my Attention was firft and principally fixt on the Minitler of France^ who^afFe6ts to be vale- tudinar)' more than many others Icfs florid lo the Face, and rhore advanced in Years. I was fcncouraged in the Experiment the more, that I could not.be pcrfuaded that fo many Mi- nillers. had flocked hither, forcuitoufly, at one and the fame time ; You are acquainted witb the Names of thofe who . are come hither from tht: Ha^ue ; but the fecret Pknipo'^s far exceed thcfe in Number. I don't know a principal Power in Europe that has not a Mi-^ niftcr here, tho' their Chara<^ters be known' to very few. They are all Invalids, vifit to make the Waters pafs, and converfe topafs^ ^way the time. Thus, perhaps, is the moil important Ncgoci;iCion that ever Europe car- . : ' ried i ^f.W ♦^frjr-."''; . "V •■- ;.^' \jr Tu** [6] ried OR imperceptibly in the Face of theWorld, under the Pretext of Recreation and Amufe- ment. -^.. My chiefeft Care, as I hinted, was em- ployed to be minutely informed of the A6ti- ons of the Marquis de F n, I had him yratched Night and Pay, and mixed in all public Company he frequented. I was the inoft afliduousor his Vifitors, the moft volu* ble of his Gazetteers, and the loudeft in Praife of his own particular Maxims, and thofe of his Court. You won't wonder, if, by thefe Means, and my being fubjeft to a Prince difin* tcrefted in the prelent Broils of Europe, but by Inclination, fufpe£^ed to wiih well, to France, I came to be looked upon, if not as a Confident, at leaft as one not to be fufpeft' ed for Partiality, or of an Intention to ac- quire Information, in order to communicate ic abroad. In this Light was I viewed by that Nobleman ; in this Light am I ftill viewed by him and all his Acquaintance : I am look- ed upon as a neutral Perfon, and am often chofen a Mediator to adjuft Matters between jarring Politicians. The Partizans of Bourbou and jiufiria have frequent Recourfe to my Impartiality. You fee, my Friend, your old Chum is become the Man of Confequence, when and where you would leaft expe6^ it : But the only Plealurc I receive from my being this Homme de Confequence, is, that I am there^ by the better enabled to amufc you, at leaft, ii not fatisfy your Curiofity. One m m W" ,-r:,'S#^~%*t^^^--4^ Ad ''i'-\ :e. V'.' it : ng re- ift. '.V-. ■■^' bne 1 " One need not fee on fo good Terms as I an< with the principal Minifters here, and par- ticularly with the Imperial, the French and the Spanijh, not to perceive that Water- drinking was not the principal Inducement of aflcmDling fo many Statefmen together: Nor could I, without betraying too great Supinenefs, overlook the Politics of the Mar- quis de F n particularly, to whofe Addrefs may be afcribed that general Serenity or Unthoughtfulnefs, fo obvious in every Face but his own, where Thought and Care, tho* imperceptible to the Multitude, feem to me to have erefled their Thrones. You may per- ceive himfelf fenfible, that the Difquietudes of the Heart do work up into the Counte- nance, for he is inceflantly making Faces and complaining of Pains he does not feel, to colour the Unevennefs which but too appa- rently denote Solitude of Mind : But all his Demeanor, all his Looks and Motions are fo apt and well-feafoned, that few read his in» ward Perturbations. Thus, Sir, has this Minifter, by the fole Force of his Addrefs, been able, not only to hide his own Uneafinefs and Anxiety, but even when he laboured mod under them, to infpire all who converfe with him or fee him, with Content and Serenity of Mind. All the Minifters of his Party are in the Se- cret, or aft as if they were ; for they are, like him, eternally promoting fome trifling Amufement or other, and inculcating the Happinefs <•»><*■ 'T<', [8] h Happincfs and NecefHty of unbending the Mind fometimes and forgetting Cares. To- be at one of our Evening Circles, fometimes,. you would imagine yourfelf at old yithens among a Set of Epicureans, To pafs calmly thro' Life, to gratify the Scnfes reafonably ; in fliort, to go down, fmoothly and unruffled, the Stream of this World, js th^ Dodrine propagated at every Table, and feems to be that which is imbibed and followed by all Orders here. The AfFetiation of being in the Mode is fo prevalent, that you won't wonder if the happy Infedion be now become univerfal, tho', as I have faid above, I look upon it to be folely owing to the Addrefs of Monfieur F— -n. You will naturally ask, to what End or Ufc could this Scheme of general Serenity be to that Statefman, fuppoling hs came with a View to negotiate fome important Treaty ? I anfwer, to cover his Intentions, and pre- vent the Interruptions neceffarily attending, public Negociation. But here has been, be- fides, more NeceiHty for Difguife than ever was known on other Occafions : For though there feems to be a general Negociation tor confolidating all the prefent Diiputes oi Eu^. rape generally ; yet am I confident there are two other more fecret Negociations going oti* where the profoundcft Secrecy is nec^imrilv pbferved, becaufe they direftly thwart each other : And out of thefe again fpring lefl*er negociatingShQOts>r^garding the particular In- tcreft I \ m ^■^ f^i tereft of Individuals, which require no IcfS the Mask of Secrecy. Where there are a* bove thirty Minifters, and all are Afting and Counter-afting ; where all are in Motion, yet where all would be thought to be in none ; where all are diffident or each other, and would fecm to confide with the greateft Implifitnefs in each other; where, in (hort, there is fo much a doing, and fo little Ap- pearance of Bufinefs, you will fuppofe their the refineft Strokes of the Miniftcrial Arc aie prafticed. The Situation of Affairs in Europe^ parti- cularly in the Empire, requir-jd a Nesfocia- tion ; but how to begin one was the Difiicul- ty. The Dutch declined the Mediation of- fered by the Emperor and Fra?ice ; the Vene- tians excufe themfelves ; and the Pope would not be reliihed by England particularly, and fome other Proteflant Powers in Germany, The Northern Powers were too intent upon their own Affairs to be troubled or intrufled" with thofe of others. Thus were Matters circumftanced till after the late Aflion at Dettingcn, which made it more necclfary for Frame particularly, to haften the fetting a general Negociation on foot. To confider the Opportunity thrown in the Way of France, from the Blunders of the Confederate Army, to put an End to the War, glorious to her own Caufe, one can't but admire the fecret Workings of Provi- dence, who delights to damp the Prefump- B tion '*-■ t 10] tion of Man, by rendering the moft feaiibic of his Schemes abortive. Never were Gene- rals more infatuated, than thofe who gave fo great Advantages to a fuperior Enemy ; but never was fo great Advantage fo ill im- J)roved. What an Italian Nobleman here aid on that Occafion, though in very few Words, fecms to exprefs very aptly the Cha- rafters of the Generals of both Armies : The Fools efcapedy bccaufe thy had to deal with Mad- men, One Obfervation naturally arifes from the Poignancy of thefe lively-drawn Charac- ters, if true, viz. That Fools leldom improve, but the Alad have their Intervals : And a Review of the different Motions of thefe Ar- mies, fince the Affair of Dettingen, will ra- ther confirm than efface the Truth of this Obfervation. / ' . ~ The French, as if recovered from the Fren- zy, which obftru£ted their blading at one Blow all the Hopes of the Courts oi Vienna and Lofidon, prudently retired, not only to cover their own Country, threatened with a mighty Invafion, but to take all Excufe from England particularly, for attacking her in confequence of her Guaranty of the Prag- matic SanBion, On this Side there are vifi- bk Marks of Senfe and military Condu6t ; but is it fo on the other ? I am afraid not ; at lead it docs not appear to indifferent Spec- tators, that the Allied Commanders have improved the Advantages they had after the Retreat of the Ftcnch over the Rhine, It m fe [if?r It is fuppofed the Operations of the Cam- paign were fettled at Hanau when Prince Charles was there. The Plan, they fay, was that young Prince's ; which I very much doubt, becaufe I can't fuppofe he would be Author of a Plan, whatever he might do to agree to it in Deference to a ufe/ul Ally, that fnould lay himfelf under infeparable Difficul- ties. It might be Policy in one who intended to temporize, whofe Views tended rather to carrying Points at home, than making Con- quefts on France, and who perhaps had feen io much of Danger at Dettingen, that he had no Stomach to more: I fay, in fuch a one it might be Policy to divide the Forces, in order to lefTen the Weight of the Attack, and to fend the Prince where he muft expeft to meet with the greateft Refiftance, or pafs the faireft Seafon in Ina£lion. Thus, and in no other Light, can the Conduft of the Commanders of the Allied Armies be ac- counted for. . . , ,*ii For to fuppofe that England was in Ear- ned, and that Prince Charles had the Direc- tion of forming the Plan of Operation ; to fuppofe that young Hero a free Agent, and to a6l as he has done, would be to fuppofe, that he is a mere Novice in his Profeflion, or tha*:, being enamoured with the Sweets of Hazard and Difficulty, he fcorned to con- quer by the obvious and eafy Methods of War. When that Prince was 2Lt Hanau, he might with more Eafe march down than B a up ^^m^' jr^'A* ii^i^;^^S?ffl?fl^5"'^^ up (f^c^hine. By marching down, he com- manded the Paflage of the River, and was at Hand to fecond, or be fcconded, in foi' ring the Way into the Territories of France, But what Advantages couJd be propofed by his marching into a fterile Country up the River, fuppofing he had been fure of pafling ic, chat he might not hope for, had he def- cended and joined or approached the com- bined Army ? There were none, there could be none in View. The Attack upon u4lface by both Armies united, would be more vio- lent and fecure, than it poffibly would or can by their being feparated, and at fo great 51 Diftance from eiach other. The Specula- tifts in military Affairs fpoke loudly of Mif- Condu£l:, when the Intention of fuch a Sepe- ration of the Armies was firft made public : And did not they condemn upon good Grounds ? Does not the Event prove the Re^itude of the Condemrjation ? Has not that impolitic Meafure afforded the French breathing Time ? Have not they had, by that fingle Step, Leifure to encrcafe their Airniies in u^lface^ fortify their Lines, fortify ajKj fupply their Towns ; and, what is yeC pf more Confequence, to recover from their Panic ? Seafons are to be obferved in all Af- fairs of Life, but efpecially in War, where a Day, fomtimes an Hour ui.improved, al- ways retards, and often cbftrufls the Execu- tion of the bed laid Schemes. But f 1 J- ftl: by Ibeir tify yec heir Af- lere al^ But I a '*t;'#r^'^^^l#^*^^ . But to confider that Sep^rstvQti of thcfe Armies in another obvious Light, how fetal may it prove ? To that commanded in Per-* fon by a Warlike K g, may it not be dreaded that it will risk too much in retreat- ing, fliould it be thought impra£ticable to attack the French in their Lines ? or fhould this Army attack ar.d fail, where is the Refource, when Prince Charles is at fo great a Diftance .^ Luck and Chance, that had preserved that Army at Dettingen, may ftill accompany it ; but without fome fuch fupernatural Aid, or unlefs the French are ftill mad enough to flip Opportunity, as they did on the Banks of the Mayn, there is an Appearance that there may be Caufe for regretting the Seperation, and for faying, that even the Wife are not always prudent. The Cafe may be ftill worfe with the Army near Friburgh and Bri- fac, ftiould it not be able to pafs the River, or Ihould the combined Army at Spire meet with any Check. The Country about Fri- burgh, at beft is barren ; but after fo long a Stay, of fo great an Army, we muft fuppofe it quite exhaufted. What then muft become of the Army there, fuppofing it cannot pafs the River, before the Army below feparates to go into Winter Quarters? The Prince can't poffibly winter his Army in the Brif' cau ; he dare not attempt wintering in j4lfacd if he could, when perhaps the combined Army is at fo great a Diftance as the Netherlands ; and to march back to the Auflrian heredi- ^tary t ^ '^•^•J.^>-»»#,, r:.fP ^|w«fcV # •T» ., -7. [ U'i TX?^ «. '■'^'T ^;^l^^ tary Countries, which he muft necefTarlly do, in an advanced Seafon, will exceedingly har- rafs the Whole, perhaps dcftroy a good Part of his Army. ^i ,. .: .'.; i But may not that young Prince run yet a greater Hazard ? May not the French be not only ftrong enough to prevent his vifiting them, but to pay him an unwelcome Vifit, when he is moft harraiTed, moft in Want, and Icali: able to receive unwelcome Guefts, as he would wifh ? Such adicifive Stroke is to be dreaded, if the combined Army make not more vigorous Efforts than they feem inclined to hitherto ; and infallibly muft happen, fliould Noailles join Cog?ii, leaving the com- bined Army intangled with FortrefTcs, or inclined to put an unmeaning, inglorious End to a Campaign, begun with no View to the Aggrandizement of t|3e Houfe of j^uftria^ tho' otherwife given out for carrying Points at home. Thefe, inaufpicious as they may feem, are but Confequences that might have been apprehended and forefeen very naturally from a Separation^ which all the World condemn- ed, as being repugnant to all the Maxims of War, and, indeed, to all Maxims of found Policy. The fna£lion of the Royal Army (an Epithet of DiftIn£lion) which has beea hitherto accounted for, as owing to the Slow- nefs of the Dutch Troops, will be now with* out Excufe, thofe Troops being joined, at leaft come fo near as to be depended upon, in •/ i fafe 4 f^ t tJ ?»: ^ZnwTT- at I .'i^. : A i •■ h> ■•■^■,- -;Mf cafe tlley have no fecret Orders t6 be on the Dcfcnfive only. I fhall have Occafion here- after, perhaps, to obferve upon the Policy of the wary Dutch -^ but before I quit this Subjeft of the Separation, let me do Juftice to the Nobleman who lately commanded the B -Jh Troops in the Field : I fhould have faid nominally j for fuch it fcems his Com- mand was for fome Weeks before he re- /igned. The Velt Marfhal, Count of ^J r, was. thought by fome to have proje£^ed and ad- vifed that memorable March to Jlfchajfen- bour^i which had like to have proved fatal to his Prince and the whole combined Army. But when that important Tranfadlion came to be difcufled and minutely fcrutinized* it appeared fo far from being a Meafurc of that Nobleman's, that it had been taken entirely againft his Opinion. That March was a Meafure folely H «; as, indeed, moft Meafures have been, fince that Army took the Field. What is certain is, that Lord S r merited greater Confidence than was rcpofed in him, on many Accounts, but par- ticularly for contributing more than any o- ther whatevei;, to the Efcape at Dettingen ; and for having advifed following the Blow, and arccicking the French the Day after the Aft ion, when the HeJJians and Hanover i am at Hanau might, if ordered, have joined time enough. It is indifputablc that the Ad- vice was eligible and confummate, confider- • ^'^' ,ii4Ja!»«j i- mmfmrnm 'HI "•^-^ ■•V 'fS^ [1(5] Irig how high in Spirits the combined Army was, and hovr Crefs-fallen and difconccrted That of Monfieur Noailles : Nor is it unlikely that the fame Politics, or Panic, ^vhich I obferved might have influenced the Refolution of feparating the Armies, had prevailed on this Occanon : For when the Heart is once ftrongly feized with any Paf- ilon, there i« fcarce any Profpe£V of Advan- tage can remove the contracted Prejudices Sven the ftrongeft Efforts of Reafon are too feeble to efface it. ''v i ' ^ '^ 'V.iThofe who had endeavoured to have faf- tehed the March to j4fchefenbourg on Lord j:-.--^;-, would likewiie ^m upon him as Au^ thor of the Separation of the Armies, afteir the Public cried out againft that Meafure. This laft maliciousFi6iion was not fwallowed; Sit kaft here, as glibly as the firft. We Werfc ttow convinced that he was againft the March to jifchejfenbourgh , was for pufhing the Ad- Vantage at Dettingen, and that he advifed attacking Marfhal Noailles the Day after; fince he was not permitted to purfuc the Hying French ; therefore it would be difficult to perfuade us, that he, who had difluaded againft the March, and advifed the Attack, could be capable of advifing the Separation^ a Meafure fo obvioufly deftru£llve of the Scheme concerted between the Courts of London and Vienna, and fo felf-evidently a- gainft all the Rules of War or Reafon. l-\ No. ■PIP ^^' H ] No, Sir, that Lord was not fo much as confulled on that important Occafion ; nor, indeed, was he called upon for Advice in any Affair of Moment ever fince the Arrival of the in the Field. Whether any ill Of- fices had been done that Nobleman before j or, whether after •'he Arrival, the Hanove- riam had found Means to ingrofs the R 1 Heart and Ear ; or, whether rather, the noble Lord had reafoned and advifed with too great Sincerity and Freedom, withouc paying that Deference to the foreign Gene- rals, which perhaps was expedled by them-* felves and othtrs\ whichever of thefe was the Reafon, I can't fay, but it is currently believed here, and was, long before his Dii^ miffion, that he ftood but indifferently, when there was moft Reafon for him to hope, he fhpuld be beft received. The Word Dlf- miffion here might more properly be fupplied hy thzt oi R'lfignat ion, which was undoubted- ly the Cafe, if our Intelligence at Aix be well founded. My Lord requefted to be difmiired, and his Requefts was as readily granted as it: was earneftly made ; it being not at all im- probable, that the K and the L — d were heartily glad to be afunder. Few Princes love the Liberty of fome Servants ; and there are no honcft Servants who can, or ought to help or correct Nature, when, perhaps, their own Honour, the Safety of the Prince him- felf, and the Good of their Country, depend, C in No, ^m,j-'- ■ ti'.w,- I IP)' ^4.. .4 '^:.;::''*'*'^.^'*^- la [ 19 ] would be as unfeafonabJe as without Excufe, without fome offered, unbearable Slights and Indignities. On the other Hand, they are at a Lofs for the Motive that fliould induce the offering fuch Slights as could not be brooked by one of even more Phlegm and lefs Refent- ment than my Lord S r. We are riot unacquainted with the too obvious Partiality in Favour of Countrymen; nor that Councils have been called of thefe only, tho' againfl all military Rules, even if they had been Principals, as they are but Mercenaries only. We are not uninformed neither, that n\o^ Meafures have been fet- tled in a private Cabal o^ /oreign Officers, previous to laying them before a regular Council for Form fake only; and that Tome Meafures of Confequence were entered upon, and even executed, without the Sandion of any Council, at which the General, or any of his Fellow- Sub jefts were prefent. We have heard too much to doubt of Partiality ihewn in the Choice of Starters, the Dates ofCom^ mij/ions, and many other Inftances : We have heard alfo of Whifpers, that the Britijh Troops were expofed, and fome others induftri- oudy /pared at Dettingen: We have been told too, that the Livery of / / ■ r was prefered, on that important Day, to that oi England ; at which one might wonder, if Prudence had ever been known to conquer a rooted Preju- dice. C 2 The '1: ;J-1I [ 20 ] , "The Report of all thtk partial 7 ranfaffi* 9ns have reached us here ; but ftill are we at a Lofs, not for the natural partial Biafs, nor the general Difcontent It might have oc- cafioned amongft thofe who imagined they had a Right to Favour and Preference, if any were ihewn ; but for fomc Caufc more myl- terious relative to the General particularly. The rumoured Partiality afFe6led him only in common with the Reft of his Countrymen } and any dire6l Slights that were offered to himfelf, may be fuppofed to have been fo frequent that they became habitual ; for otherwife we can't well account for his not refigning fooner, fince it is confirmed by all Hands, that he was no favoured, cheriihed Perfon from the Beginning. " ' ! . 'Tis hard to guefs, you will fay, why a Man would be entrufted with a Chief Com- mand that was not liked ; yet we read and have known many Inftances of the Kind- He was of the prevailing Party, and a fit Perfon, in a double Capacity, to perfuade the Dutchy that the Court of L n had changed her Syftem, and wasin earneft : But tho' he a6led his Part, as became a prudent and xcalous Servant, 'tis a Doubt whether be would not have been more cheriflied if he had been more obfervant of the real Senti- ments of his Court, ft might be intended, perhaps thought necefTary, to create a vait Expcnce, to make a grand Figure abroad, and to put on every Appearance of Earncft- nefs J U i *!»'#'. ^fi» niy d CO in fo for not r all fhed r *i ] ncfs ; but ftill there might be Rcafon for not relifliing a Man that fhould be too carneftly for improving Opportunities, and procuring fome Advantage for h*is Country, to compen- fate for the exccffive Drains of a Campaign^ enormoufly expend ve. A Suppoficion, then, prevails here, that Lord S r, like the reft of the intruding Party, was made an Agent of NeceiTity only ; and that the fame ill Ufage and Power, which forced him out of the Circle, will foon drive out the reft, if they have not loft all Senfc of Feeling. Obtruded Servants are feldom continued longer than they are abfolutcly neceffary. 'Tis thought, that the unguarded ExpreJ/t-- ons, which accompanied the peremptory Re- fufal of the Memorial I fend you inclofed, dc termined that Lord to an immediate Refig- nation, which he had meditated for fome Weeks before. The Memorial, you fee, re- lates to a particular Tranfadtion in the Camp, in which the B -Jh Officers thought they had been mifreprcfented by fome fycophant Foreigners. A Juftification, it feems, was thought nccelTary ; but whether in Fa£l it was necelfary or not, a Memorial relating to fo great a Corps of Officers, merited fome Con- nderation j or, if judged proper to be re* futed, the Refufal needed not be accompa- nied with themoft aggravating Circumftances and Expreflions. It was too fenlible to a Man of my L — d S r's Spirit, to be told. That there 'i II ^JT 7^ rjti^ ti "h in tks Memo- [ 21 J there 'Mas not a H^ord of jT- rial he Jo warmly efpouftd. Lady Fame, you know, is a Bablcr by Pro- fcflion j flic has too many Tongues to he moved by Truth alone ; but if llie may hz credited, all thcfe Particulars concerning that gallant Nobleman, arc not only true, but another not lefs natural t^ian any of the reft. The many-mouthed Dame, then, reports, that a perfonal Caution at D n, natural to moft Men, and, perhaps, thought more ne- nefTary in K— s than others, was fpokc of by that L — d, with too h'ttle Referve, a Day or two after that Aftion. Thefe Sort of Indif- cretions are feldom forgiven ; the Point of Honour is too fharp to be refifted by the Ar- mour of either Intereft or Reafon. — But not to detain you any longer on a Rejignation which has been lately the Subjedl of all Con- verfarions here, 'tis thought, that that dif- tinguiflied Nobleman's former and late Ser- vices, as a Minifter and a Soldier, merited greater Confidence, more Favour, and better Ufage than he has met with fince he firft took upon him the Command of the Army he has now quitted. To confidcr the more than ordinary Ser- vices performed by that Nobleman in his EmbalTy to F e, it may be wondered that he was flighted, in the late Reign particu- larly, or even in the prefent. If it be true that he had then don©, fignal Services to the Family, he merited th 't "■• ^ ■J ^^ -If Jlk{F -..'v^ij [ 24 ]■■ ':%" *Tif:- be glad of any Pretext for keeping Armed,, perhaps, and of impoverifloing a ftubborn Peo- ple, but our Speculatifts here won't be per- fuaded that a War with France was ever in- tended: And, indeed, the Conduct in the Field, adds but too ftrongly to the Plaufibi- lity of the buppofition. As England then had no Averfion to a Peace in/uturo, which could not afFc6l the domeftic Schemes of her Court, France found not much Diificuky in difpofing her to a Ne- gociation, provided Dull could be thrown into the Eyes of the Public. The French, who abound in Men of Genius and Finneife, propofed the Expedient lately executed here< The Seafon, the Water, the Company, e- very thing contributed to anfwer the Views qf all who had any fntereft in keeping the Secret of a Negociation. ' But under the Cover of a Negociation foi« a general Peace, which feemed to be the In- tention of the Court of £ n, the French took the Opportunity of a feparat'" Nc^^ocia- tion with Prujfia and Saxony. The H ;/, \vho chiefly tranfafted the B -Jh Affairs here, perceiving the Ufe France would make of the Opportunity of a Congrefs, gave No- tice to his Court, and had Orders to counter- mine France, and, in Conjunction with the u^uftrian Minifler, to treat feparately with Prujfia and Saxony. Bcfidcs thefe, there was a dirc6l Negocia^ tion between S^ain and Sardinia, and an in- direct •^r-«<(.^ o- cr- he ich in- re6l mr - r 25 ] dire£l one between the Emperor and the Court o^ Vienna, in which France^hsid a iiharc, tho' nominally it appeared otherwife. There was alfo an Attempt to fet a Negociation on foot for reconciling the Northern Powers: But France, who has her Views in keeping in the Fire between the Danes and Swedes, till ihe has fettled her own Affairs, found Means to thwart the Meafures of all who had attempted to enlarge the Compafs of the Negociation. Now, that all Negociation here feems to be at an End, or fufpended, and that moft of the Minifters are retired to their refpec^ (ive Courts, or Places of Relidence, we may venture to fpeculate on the various Negocia- tions. But if, in this fpeculative Refearch, I don't always hit on the true Pin of Affairs, be fatisfied at leaft, that I fpeak the Senfe of all the beft Judges here. The general Negociation, carried on at a Polijb Nobleman's Houfe, went on heavily from the Beginning, but more from the Te- nacioufnefs of the Auftrian Minifler, than all the others concerned ; and he, indeed, of all others, had mofi: Reafon to be tenacious. He infifted on an Equivalent for Siktia, and an abfolute Rf^Qunciation of all Rights to the jiiifitian Inheritance on the Part of the Em- peror. He in(i{ted like wife, for fome Days, to be indemnified for the Expence of the War, to be put in PoiTeflion of the * Stado D da • Fortrcflwes in the PofleiTion of the King of the SutHe:* k\ iV- ^ r" i > ^^ ::! '!a i ' :,' ill (^Rt^w^-.-^-f:- c^-" ■w \*F [ 26 3 de Prajfdio, on the Coaft of Tufcany ; and that the Grand Duke Ihould be immediately ele6led King of the Roma?is ; but gave up thcfe three laft Points : And tho' the Empe- ror's Renunciation was a Point as ftrenuoufly oppofed by the Imperial Minifter, as it \v as earneftly prefled by the other ; yet a Modi- fication being hit upon by Monneur F n, the firft was the only Point that was never brought to any tolerable Degree of Adjuft- ment. The Modification mentioned above,' was, that the Emperor and Queen ihould furceafe all Purfuits of Claims to each other, during the Term of Twenty five Years ; and that all the principal Powers of Europe ftiould guaranty the Performance. This Medium, tho' not thoroughly relifhed at either Court, was at laft digefted at Frankfort and Fienna. But the AiFair of the Equivalent was infi- nitely more puzzling. The Emperor was incapable of giving any; the other Princes of the Empire would give none ; who then, but Fra7ice, was able, or ought to have com- penfatcd the Queen for a forced Cellion of one of her faireil: Provinces ? . All agreed, and France herfelf could not deny, that (he was beft able ; but many doubted, and fhe efpecially infiftcd, that her being able was a very bad Reafon for obli- g'ng her to compenfate for the Depredations cf another. The Current, however, being againii: France, and Lorrain being in every Mouth as the proper and only Equivalent, • Monfieur / I ! :#jr ~..^T 'If-' ■v \ [27 1 Monfieur F- n was driven to all his Shifts: He propofed the fecularizing fome vaft i>pi- ritualitfes in the Empire in Favour of the Queen ; but finding the Gf/wj;/ Alarm genc' ral on the Propofal, he dropp'd it for ano- ther equally djftafteful to the Gennans, who deiired no Increafe of the jiujirian Power, or Dominion beyond the Rhine. This was, that the Arch Dutchy oi Atiftria (hould be erect- ed into a tenth Ele6torate, and that Hungary fhould be incorporated with, and deemed a Circle of the Empire. This laft Alternative would go down well enough at Vienna, but at no other Court in Germany ; therefore was the Marquis obliged to have Recouife to other Means, in order to turn the Tide of Prejudice from his Country. It was eafily perceivable that the Court of Vienna was upheld by that of £ n ; and that, could this latter be brought to acqui- cfce to any other Equivalent except Lorrain^ the Queen of Hungary muft fubmit. All the Batteries of his Addrefs and Invention the Marquis pointed this Way. The Demolition of the Works about Dunkirk was propofed ; and even the intire Deftru61:ion of that Har- bour was infinuated : But the H «, who had the principal Dire£lion of the Negocia- tion, turned a deaf Ear to all Advantages in favour of E d: Therefore then was Monfieur F— « obliged to turn his Thoughts to finding out what might be deemed more agreable to the H n Palate. He propofed D 2 a t s t I:. ;7T* ^' . s^ :^ I 28 1 a fpccific Guaranty of the Eh^orate and all Its Territories and Acquilitions ; and that this Guaranty fhould be Itrengthened by that of the Empire ; but perceiving that an Addi- tion of Territory was the principal Point in View, he propofed fecularizing, or rather annexing the Bijhoprick of (Jznabrug and gua- rantying the Poffeffion of it to H-^ r. • This Bait being greedily fwallowed, it was not doubted that the Queen muft be obliged to f5t down contented with a very moderate Equivalent in Money payable at feveral very diftant Payments: But the Dutch, P ruf- fian and Saxon Minifters, alarmed at the Wil- lingnefs with which the H -n agreed to fecularizing Oznabrug^ tho' he had been the moft ftrenuous againft the firft Propofal of a general Secularization in Favour of the Queen, it was thought proper, both by the Marquis and Baron, to drop that Part of the Scheme for the prefent, intending, however, to alTumc the Deliberation of it as Oppoi:u- nity offered, either from fome intervening Accident in the Courfc of the Negociation, or from fome Advantage or Difad vantage in the Field. Could a Difunion, as to that Point, •be wrought amongft the oppofing Powers j or did Prince CharUs pafs the Rbine, and ob- lige the Ftaich to leave yiifaee open to him ■and the ccmbined Army ; or elfc did he at- tempt palling, and was repulfed with great Lofs ; in fliort, did any fignal Incident hap- pen, the French and ^— — ;; Miniitcrs did not I -i ^.y":4 **r -f-^. y Vr » [^ ] not doubt but thereby there would be Room to work upon the Plan of annexing Oznaburg to the Dominions of i/— ■r. One Thing was very diftinguilhable on this Occafion, ofwhich Monfieur F n took all the Advantage poflible. He faw that all the A venues to the Friendlhip of the Court of^ L // muft be by the round-about Way of H ri and that the greateft. Ad vantages to E d equal not the leaft to the E — ^e. This is the Compafs that Minifter fteercd by ; and this, probably, his Court will fteer and fucceed by, in diffolving the prefent, and preventing any other Alliance againft France, During a Sufpenfion of the general Nego- ciation, occafioned, as has been obferved, by the Oppofition of the Dutch, P ruffian znd Saxon Minifters to fecularizing the See af Oznabrugt particular Negociations were car- ried on more vigoroufly. One had been fet on Foot by L—d C 1 with C— t M o at Frank/ ot t, in Regard to Spain and Eng^ land. My Lord would confine the Negociati- on fimpiy to the Objects oftheprefent War between thefe Crowns ; but the C — t infifted to have a Settlement for Don Philip in Italy taken into it. My L — d was forced to yield to the Phlegm and Steadinefs of the Spaniard^ and, upon that Bafisy the Negociation was re- moved from Frankfort hither. By this Means Monfieur F n came to learn, that, if this Negociation fucceeded, it muft be at the Ex- pence of a DifTolution of the prcfent Har- mony TfitH . ■^■{1^ 'jf ■ -r >!<-•', 'JU m..:,. * !■■' i m fin' [30,]; mony between his Court and that of Madrid, therefore he laboured to thv/art it; but find- ing more Difficulty than he imagined, he gave Advice to his Court, which occafioned a Refolution of joining a Body of French to Don Philips Army. This put an End to the Panic of the Court o^ Vienna, who muft have yielded Parma and Placcntia at leaft, as an Equivalent for a Peace between England and Spain. It is plain enough, that if thefe Points could have been gained, viz. a Peace with Spain, by making Don Philip a Sovereign in Italy ; and one in the Empire, by annexing Ozfia- hrug to the E c, the Grandeur of the Houfe of u^i^r/^, and the Bal/ancc 0/. Power viTould be quite forgot by the moft puiffant of the prefcnt Auxiliaries of that tottering Houfe. This, I think, proves evidently, that the Support of the Houfe (^^ Aufiria was but the fecondary View of the Court of L n, in the expenfive FigUire (he makes in the Mhint. England, certainly, has an Intereft in accommodating her Difputes with5/d!/«; but undoubtedly fhe can have none in aggrandi- zing the E e ; and yet if France had been able to gain on PtuJJia and Holland to agree to ihefccul arizing Scheme, the Queen c^^ Hun- gary , who ftood E ^fo much of 1 are, muft be obliged to agree to theTcrms of Fra7iceSYhQ Stcadinefs of the Opponents has hindered the Perfe8:ion of this Scheme hitherto : but as no Difficulty of this Nature is infurmounta- ble. f '-^i^k,. ble, we may expeft chat France will, fooncr or later, extricate herfelf, by procuring Ad- vantages for an E e that had contributed fcarce any Thing tov/ards the Expence in- curred. The Negociation aforefaid, between S — ti and E d, opened Way for an Attempt of one between the Courts of Madrid and Turing but it had no other Effe£l: than to quicken the Pace of tliat of Fienna, the floweft in the World, to adjuft all Difficulties between her and the Court of Turin, I won't anfwer, however, that this laft Court, who under- llands her Interefts perfedlly well, won't lif- ten with Serioufnefs to Spain if fhe exceeds in her Offers ; and that the French join the Spa- niards in Savoy, . . - ' > -♦ But the grcateft Pains, at leaft the moft general, were taken to gain the Court of Berlin, E d would naturally have greateft Influence there if her K had not been a neighbouring E r : But, notwithftanding, a Prejudice on this Account, which is not like to be eafily effaced, fhe would fucceed before France, if fhe had a6led diftin£l]y from H—r: But by being led into the Scheme for fecula- rizing Oznahrugt fhe increafed the Jealoufy of Prufjia fo far as to induce her to liften to the Overtures of Fr^;/r^ • preferable to all o- thers. France improved this Advantage and concluded a Treaty with PrufJia, which will oblige the Queen of Hungary to moderate her Imperioufnefs towards the Head of the Empire, '"''^f. .^ » ■ •=' .*-^ [32 1 1 % .i»,> Empife^ ^nd even to abandon all Thought! of making Conquefts on France ; or, at Icaft, of detaining fuch Conquers, fliould fhc be Ip fuccefsful as to make any. j. This, in my Apprchcnnon, was the only Treaty brought to Perfe£tion at this P^ace, tho' feme oth' s were fo advanced, that they may be foon concluded : But as any fignal Sucqefs in the Field, on either Side, muft change the Syftcm of the principal Parties, there is no judging how far Demand* may ^ife or fall ; This, however, we may conclude, that whenever Peace is made, it will be at the Expence of the Qupen of Hungary, in Italy as well as in Qermanyt provided any Acqui- sitions of Power or Territory can be gained by France to H r. Here centers all the Politics of the Court of £— » ; here centers alfo the Exjpcnce of E d \ therefore, if France can, hj any Scheme, procure Ad van- .tage here, the Weight of £ / > > d necef* Jarily fubfides on that Side. Firewel, my noble Friend ; if I ihould be fo unhappy as to differ wit;h your Notions of public Affairs, let me (land cxcufed, for fol- lowing thofe of all our refined Politicians here: But> however, I may happen tod ifa- gree with you in political Speculations, I fliall be all my Life ijng, . -., -^ . FINIS.