cifive Action, and by the Battle of Luzara to ex'tricate themselves out of thofe Difficulties. The open Declaration of the Electors of Cologn and Bavaria in the Empire in favour of France, and their Enterprizes along the Danube, proved on the other fide a Diverfion very favourable to the Enemy, and very prejudicial to the Allies. The next Campaign in the Year 1703, brought this advantage to the State, that the Defigns of the Enemy about Maestricht and Antwerp being disappointed with a great deal of Bravery and Conduct; the Frontiers along the Rhine and the Maeze were farther extended by the Reduction of Bonn, Huy, and Limburgh, tho', on the other hand, the Enemy having pafled the Rhine at Stratzburgh, and vainly attack'd the Lines of Buhl and Stolhoffen, reduced Fort Kehl, and having forced their way through the BlackForest, join'd with the Elector of Bavaria, and took feveral important Places along the Danube, "and Brifac on the Rhine; and after the Battle of Spirebach, to the advantage of the Allies, the Fortrefs of Landau, putting by thefe means the Hereditary Dominions of the Emperor to a great danger, and fpreading the terror of their Arms to the Main and Mozelle. The natural and only Confequences of this Progrefs of the Enemy being, that as they had before imbarrafs'd the Emperor by the Troubles in Hungary and Tranfilvania, they would " endeavour to put all in confufion, force the neighbouring and molt confiderable Circles, to fubmit to their Terms, or at least to a Neutrality, and then bend all their Forces towards the LowerRhine, to attack the Body of the State; Her Majefty, the Queen of Great-Britain, and your High Mightineffes, for preventing in time fo great a Blow, were obliged the next Campaign to ftand in thefe Parts on the defenfive, and fend the greateft part of their Forces to the Upper-Rhine, and from thence to the Danube, where, in the firft Place they attacked with an incredible Vigour the Intrench'ments of the Enemy at Schellenbergh, and forced 'the fame after a brave refiftance, and afterwards in a long and bloody Fight, defeated their Army at Blenheim, and purfued the Remains thereof to the Welt-Lide of the Upper-Rhine; the Enemy ha

fying

ving left unto them for the Reward of their Victo ry, the whole Dutchy of Bavaria, and the Places along the Danube, with an opportunity by the retaking of Landau, to take their Winter-Quarters along the Saar and Mozelle. Mean time the War in Portugal had not the fuccefs the Allies expected, and the Duke of Savoy was reduced to great diffi'culties by the lofs of Verrue, after a bloody Refiftance, and feveral other Places, while the Imperial Troops over-power'd by the Enemy, were obliged to retire into the Country of Trent, and the Duke of Modena was deprived of his Country and State.

"The Affairs of Portugal in the Year 1705, nor thofe of Piemont, notwithstanding the Battle of Caffano, did not take a more favourable turn than the preceding Year, and the Endeavours of the < Allies to penetrate into France on the fide of the Mozelle, were disappointed through the strength of the Enemy, and other Accidents; but on the other hand, the Lines in the Walloon Brabant, which had been thought to that time unconquerable,were attacked with a great deal of fuccefs, and the E6 nemy forced to retire under Louvain, on the other fide of the Dyle; and at the fame time the Affairs of King Charles in Catalonia began to fhew a promifing Afpect by the taking of Barcelona. The Operations of War which happen'd in the Year 1706, and fince, are very great and remarkable, as well as the great Advantages obtained by the Allies. "By the memorable Battle of Ramellies three whole "Provinces of the Spanish-Netherlands were recovered: By the relief of Barcelona, in the Siege of which the Enemy loft part of their Army, the Principality of Catalonia, and feveral Places in Valencia, Arragon and Caftile were reduced to the obedience of their Sovereign, tho' the unfortunate Battle of Almanza made it impoffible to preferve them: By 'the famous, but bloody Battle and Relief of Turin, 'Piemont was rescued and preferved, and the Country of Lombardy brought under the obedience of the House of Auftria, which was fince followed by the Reduction of the Kingdoms of Naples and Sardinia, with fome other Inlands in the Mediterranean, and the taking of Exilles and Feneftrelles, whereby

was fhut up a Door and Paffage the French had C preferved to that time to come into Italy when-ever they pleased. The Advantages obtained in the Netherlands, through the Battels of Ouden arde and "Mons, and the feveral Sieges undertaken in those 'Parts, deferve a particular Confideration; but we 'fhall not repeat here what has been faid thereupon in the Petition for the laft Year, and in the begin'ning for this.

Having thus related what has been done by Land, the Expeditions undertaken by Sea fhould deferve a particular Confideration, to fhew with 'how much Expences and Difficulties the fame have been carried on at the fole Charge of Her Majefty, 'the Queen of Great-Britain, and your High Mightineffes, but the importance of this Article is to be weigh'd a part, the better to fhew how much the "Naval Expeditions have contributed to the great " Succeffes of this War.

It neceffarily follows, from the short Account that has been given, that the Efforts made by your High Mightineffes, and your Allies, have been very great and fuccefsful, but that feeing that after many long and expensive Sieges, bloody Battels, that have been more frequent in this, than perhaps were ever heard of in any ancient or late War, and many other famous and remarkable Exploits, a fuperiority of Arms has been obtained in thefe Parts with fo rauch Blood, Expences, and Difficulties, over an Enemy who has done all that was poffible for Men to do for preferving the fame; whom their very Defeats and Difgraces have encouraged and fpurred on to make greater Efforts than before, and who at this very time labour with the utmoft application, not only to cover their Country against an Invafion, by cafting 'up new Lines and Intrenchments along Rivers, but also to recruit and re-establish their Army, and freinforce it with Troops that are marching from 'other Parts, and who endeavour to find out the neceffary Funds for maintaining them, by the Introduction of a new Coyn, the ftopping and faving of the great Sums that were ufually applyed to publick Works and Buildings, and feveral g other means; it follows, we fay, from all this,

fand

and it is plain beyond contradiction, that for preC ferving that Dear-bought Superiority of Arms, and forcing fpeedily the Enemy to a general and fecure Peace, it is abfolutely and unavoidably neceffary to carry on the War, and that all poffible Vigour and Strength ought to be exerted in the profecution thereof. 'Tis true, and no body can deny it, · that France has been weaken'd by the Charges of this War; that her Territories have been reduced into narrower Bounds, as it has been remark'd; ⚫ that in the many Battels and Sieges that have been mentioned, they have loft their Veteran and beft Troops, with a confiderable part of their Artillery; that their Manufactures are decay'd; that a great deal of their Money is fent out of their Kingdom, upon occafion of the frequent Alterations in 'their Coin at the Mint, the Difficulties for Bills of Exchange, and Mint-Bills; and especially that upon the Account of the bad Crop, occafion'd by the terrible Froft of the laft Winter, they are fallen into a great Want, and even Mifery: But on the other hand, it must be own'd, that the State of your High Mightineffes, and your Allies, have in feveral Parts fuffered very much by this War, that through the great and frequent Sums that have been raifed, the good Inhabitants of this Country < have been very much burthen'd with Taxes on their "Lands, while they have fuffer'd great Loffes in their Trade by Sea, by the Enemy's Privateers, and that thefe dear Times affect the generality of the People. But, befides, it is certain and indifputable, that France, by the Conftitution of her Government, the Extent of her Territories, the vaft num· ber of her Inhabitants, and her Situation, has in her felf fome Refources foon to restablish her felf, < and become no lefs formidable than before to her Adverfaries, as it has fo often appeared fince the Reign of Charles VI. to this prefent King, but ftill in a more confpicuous manner in the prefent War. It is to be confidered, that notwithstanding the many Loffes that Crown has fuffer'd, they are fill poffeff'd of feveral large Provinces, befides their ancient Territories, viz. Alface, with the important City of Stratsburgh, the County of Burgundy, the Dutchies of Bar and Luxemburgh, the Coun

⚫ ties

C

ties of Namur, Artois, and West-Flanders, part of Hainault, the Cambrefis, the Dutchy of Savoy, and 'the Dependencies of Brifac, Keyl and Tryers: That 'the greatest part of the Kingdom of Spain is ftill ' in their Intereft and Party, befides Sicily, and the Indies, with their Treasure: That the badness of · their Crop of Wheat, &c. of which there are some Inftances, tho' not fo univerfal as the prefent, in the Year 1675, and 1694, is in fome measure remedied, or made eafie by the plenty of Barly and other Summer Grains in feveral Provinces of that Kingdom, by the Transportation of Corn from the Coafts of Barbary and Morea, and even by a clandeftine way from the North, notwithstanding all the Precautions used to prevent it: And, befides, fuch a scarcity cannot affect fuch a Kingdom as France, fo much as it would other Countries, and ought not to be depended upon, because of the Temperature of the Climate, which is fuch, that even when the Earth may be faid to be unfruitful, yet in fome Parts or other it commonly produces enough for fubfifting the Inhabitants, and they have an opportunity to convey it easily from 'one Province to another, by means of their many navigable Rivers. It is likewife very remarkable, and worthy of the greateft Attention, that notwithstanding all the Calamities and Difafters the "French have fuffer'd at Home and Abroad, yet they have appeared this Year every where fo formi'dable, that they have carried on the War with advantage in Portugal and Germany: But nothing in Catalonia and Italy; and that in the Netherlands, nothing less than a long, bloody and obftinate Fight has been capable to oblige them to give 'Ground, as it has been before related. But, be. fides, were the French really fo weak, as it is commonly thought, and publickly reported, and without Refources for retrieving and reftablishing their < Affairs, it would be for all that no lefs neceffary to exert and ufe all poffible; Vigour and Efforts to reduce them, becaufe this is certainly the moft certain and infallible way to obtain the fooner a fafe and folid Peace, the great and only Design of this War, as it has been reprefented.

'But