A. C. Piedmont, The Garrifon confifting of 400 Soldiers 1706. and 40 Officers being made Prifoners, and 17 Pieces of Cannon found in the Place. The Caftles of Serravale, Arona, and Domo Doffala, likewife fubmitted to the Allies, who were thereby Mafters of all the Paffes into the Milaneze.

re-enter

I

All this while the Duke of Orleans continued in Dauphin, whither he retir'd with the broken Remains of his Army, 'having fix'd his Head-Quarter at Oulx, near Fenestrella and Briancon. The Enemy whofe Intereft it was to palliate their Defeat before The French Turin, publifh'd Accounts of the great Preparations threaten to made by his Royal Highnefs to re-enter Piedmont, to make a Diverfion, and interrupt the rapid Progrefs Piedmont of the Duke of Savey and Prince Eugene in the Milaneze. Lieutenant General Vibray was, indeed, actually fent into the Valley of Acfta with a Detachment, to try whether a Paffage might be had that Way; but he advanc'd no further than the Town of Aosta, and thence return'd back again over the Mountains,as -foon as he had Intelligence that the Baron de St.Remy. who had taken Poffeffion of the Fort of Bar, and the Count de la Rocca were ready, with a Body of Troops to receive him, fhould he advance towards that Fort. After that it was thought better for the French Army to enter the Plain of Turin, by the way of Suza, and by repeated Advices from France we were told, what Supplies of all fuch Neceffaries for fuch an Expedition were fent to the Duke of Orleans, and that he had caus'd the Troops to draw towards Suza: But the Officers of that Army having loft their Equipages in their late Defeat, murmur'd exceedingly, That while they wanted things neceffa"ry for their own Accommodation in the Field, and while their fhatter'd and difpirited Troops wanted fo much to be recruited, they fhould be order'd "back to Piedmont, where were no Magazines for the 'Subfiftence of an Army, but all must be fent after them by Convoys, and where the Winter But do not Seafon, together with the fpreading Conquefts and effect it; 4 growing Strength of the Enemy, would fubject and the Duke of them to infinite Hardships, and render the EnterOrleans prize of joining the Count de Medavi abfolutely 'impracticable. In fhort, the Army appear'd fo. the French unwilling to be imployed in fo difficult and hopeless

returns to

Court.

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a Service, that the Duke of Orleans found it neceffa- A. C. ry to fend M. de Bezons Lieutenant General, (who 1706. was appointed to fupply the Room of the Marfal de Marfin) to inform the French King of the Condition and Difpofitions of his Troops; the Difficulties of the Enterprize, and the fwift Progrefs of the Enemy. The Lofs of Alexandria and Piecigbitene which was reckon'd inevitable from the time they were begun to be attack'd,) added to the former Conquefts of the Duke of Savoy and Prince Eugene, made the French Court defpair of Retrieving their Affairs in Italy and fo M. de Bezons was difparch'd with Orders for feparating the Troops which the Duke of Orleans had drawn together at Suza, and for fending them into Winter-Quarters: Which done, the Duke himfelf, being perfectly recover'd of the Wounds he received at the Battle of Turin, fet out for the Court of France, where he arriv'd the 8th. of November, N. S.

The only formidable Enemy the Duke of Savoy and Prince Eugene had now to encounter, was the bad Winter-Seafon, which tho' it did retard,did not,how ever, altogether interrupt the Progrefs of their Conquering Arms. His Royal Highness having made the neceffary Difpofitions for befiegingCafal, and order'd Artillery for that Purpofe to be fent to him thither from Turin, appeared before it the 16th of November, and fummoning the Town and Caftle to furrender, the Town fubmitted, on Condition that the Caftle Cafal tsfhould not be attack'd from the Town, and that 800 kon at Df French who were in the Town fhould have the fame cretion. Decem.6. Capitulation, as the Garrifon of the Caftle when reduced. The bad Weather prolong'd the Attack of the Caftle; but at length it furrendred after the Trenches had been open'd before it 12 Days. The Governour having caus`d a Parley to be beat, and demanded to march out with his Gaurifon, Arms, Baggage, and 6 Cannon, the Duke of Savoy return'd Anfier that he was to expect no Capitulation, but to yield himfelf and Garrifon Prifoners of War; and the Governour refufing to fubmit to that, his Royal Highnefs gave Order for continuing to batter the Place, and fignified to him that he would make an Affault, and put all to the Sword: Whereupon the Governour determined to yield on the Terms

S

prefcrib'd

A. C. prefcrib'd him: and deliver'd up a Gate the 6th. of 1705. December. The next Day the Garrifon march'd

to the Number of 1886 Men, whereof 65 were Of ficers, who were made Prifoners, and difarm'd on the Glacis, (as were the Garrifon of Vercelli, when that Place was taken by the Duke of Vendofme) but his Royal Highnefs had the Generofity to give the Officers their Swords. There were found in Cafal 76 Pieces of Cannon, 70000 Weight of Powder, 28000 Grenadoes, and a great quantity of other Ammunition and Provifions. The Duke of Savoy defign'd, after this Conqueft, to have laid formal The Duke of Siege to Valenza, but the rainy Weather oblig'd Savoy rehim to content himself with leaving a body of ForTurin, ces to block it up, and to put the rest of his Troops Dec. 1. into Quarters: Which done, his Royal Highness repair'd to his Capital City.

turns to

N. S.

The Caftle

While the Duke of Savoy was bufie in the Siege of of Torto- Cafal, the Imperialists that block'd up the Caftle of na form'd Tortona, having for 6 or 7 Days batter'd that Place, by the Im. With 12 Pieces of Cannon, and 3 Mortars, feign'd perialifts, on the 28th of November, N. S. to abandon the Siege, Nov. 29. and actually drew off moft of their Troops towards

N. S.

Rivalta, on the other fide of the Scrivia; but the Night following they return'd, and made a fudden Affault on the Breach, with that Succefs, (the Enemy being all in Confufion) that with little lofs they carried the Place Sword in Hand. The Garrison confifting of 6 Companies of French Foot, were every Man put to the Sword, as were alfo the Governor Don Ramirez, and Don Antonio Capra, tho' they offer'd great Sums of Money for their Lives. In the Place were found 7 Brafs Cannon, and 4 of Iron, with a confiderable Quantity of Ammunition, tho' but little Provifions, to that the Garrifon must The Cry of have furrendred in 8 or 10 Days. About a Week Modena before, the Imperialifts commanded by General Wettaken by el took the City of Modena by Scalado, and part Scalado, of the French Garrifon, who had not time to retire Nov. 22. into the Caftle, were cut in Pieces. The Caftle of N. S. Modena continu'd block'd up; as did likewife that of zurement Milan, whofe Governor the Marquis de Florida, on de with the 15th of November; wrote to the Sixty Decuriones Gefle of of the City, to demand of them Money, Provifions, Milan. and Cloaths for his Carrifon, on Pain of a Bombard

ment.

ment. Hereupon the Decuriones held a Council with A. C. Count Konigfeck, who commanded the Imperialists 1706. that block'd up the Castle; and deputed the Counts Scotto, Uberto, and Stampo, to treat with Prince Pio, and the Marquis of Val de Fuentes, whom the Marquis de Florida had fent out on his Part; and a Truce was agreed between the Castle and the City till the beginning of February, on condition that the City fhould furnish the Castle with 2000 Piftoles in Money or Provifions, and that if the Caftle fhould be attack'd on the fide towards theCountry,it should not fire on the City.

Five of the Roman-Catholick Cantons of Swifferland, having at the Inftigation of France, acknowledg'd the Duke of Anjou, as King of Spain, and renew'd with him the Alliance, call'd, The Capitulate (or Capitulation) of Milan; the Court of Vienna did not only prohibit the Importation of Salt from Bavaria and Tirol into thofe Cantons; but foon after the Reduction of Milan, Prince Eugene, by the Emperor's Order, did forbid all Commerce between that Dutchy and the Four Bailywicks of Lawis, Luggaris, Mendris and Meyenthal: Hereupon the Porteftant Cantons of Zurick, Bern, Bafil, and Schaffoufe, who hold thofe Four Bailywicks in Common with the Roman Catholicks, on the other fide of the Alps, on the Frontiers of the Milaneze, wrote a Letter to Prince Eugene upon that Subject, to which his Highness return'd the following Anfwer:

BY

Y the Letter you wrote to me the 26th of laft Prince EuMonth, you were pleas'd to make a Repre- gene's Let fentation to me, in behalf of your loyal and be-ter to the loved Subjects of the four Bailywicks of Law, Swifs Luggaris, Mendris and Meyenthal, in relation to the Cantons. Exportation of Corn, Salt, and other Provifions, out of the State of Milan, to thofe Bailywicks; and to intreat me very earnestly to give Order, that that 'Prohibition of the Exportation of Corn, Salt, and other Provifions, may be taken off, that Commerce may be reftor'd on the fame Foot as formerly.

Now, tho' I defire nothing more than to fhew my readinefs to do you Service on all Occafions, and particularly in this; and tho' belides I know very well, what particular Confideration and E

< feem

A. C. 1706.

fteem his Imperial Majefty, his moft Illuftrious House, and all the High Allies have for the Laudable Cantons; yet you will have the Goodnefs to permit me to lay before you the Motives that in"duc'd me to iffue fuch a Prohibition: For, it is known to the World, That five of the Roman Catholick Cantons, in Contempt of their Alliances both with the German and Spanish Lines of the moft Illuftrious Houfe of Auftria, and notwithftanding the preffing Admonitions, Reprefentations and Offers of the laudable Proteftant Swifs Cantons, have concluded and fign'd a ftrict Engagement and Alliance with the Duke of Anjou, the declar'd Enemy of the Empire; and in Breach of the Neutrality have engag'd, in open Enmity, against his faid Imperial Majefty, his moft Illuftrious Houfe, the Holy Roman Empire, and its indifputable Fief; nor will they retract what they have done, nor be prevail'd upon by the Admonitions of their Allies, but perfift in their Refolution, to the great Advantage of the forefaid Enemy, whom (to the Damage of his Imperial Majefty, his moft Illuftrious Houfe, and the Holy Roman Empire) they have actually furnish'd with Auxillary Troops, and do ftill continue to furnish "him, infomuch that in almoft all the Places and Caftles of this State that have been taken from the Enemy, I have hardly found any other than Swifs Garrifons; Wherefore I could not well do otherwife, than in fuch a Condition of Affairs, to put a ftop to the Exportation above-mention'd, and to renew that Prohibition now again in the most rigorous manner, having receiv'd his Imperial Majefty's Commands fo to do; And befides, the forefaid unjuftifiable Proceedings of the faid Cantons, are look'd upon by the Diet of the Empire it Self, affembled at Ratisbon, (as you your felves may be prefum'd to know) as a Rupture of the Neutrality, and of the Milanèze Capitulation, and thereupon a "Refolution is pafs'd in that Diet, for prohibiting Commerce with thofe Cantons.

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So that you your felves may fee, if you pleafe, That 'tis not in my Power to make any Alteration in this Matter, and to revoke the faid Prohibition; but that it principally depends upon the Roman

Catholick