A. C. thro' Holland, that_the_first should be thought; 1672. which gave Occafion for a very good Repartee of the Princefs Dowager to the Duke of Buckingham, who paid her a Vifit at the Hague, and talking much of their being good Hollanders, fhe told him, That was more than they ask'd, which was only, that they fhould be good Englishmen. He affur'd her they were not only fo, but good Dutchmen too; that indeed they did not ufe Holland like a Miftrefs, but they lov'd her like a Wife; to which the Princess replied: Truly, I think you love us, just as you do Yours.

Sir W.

P. 26.

When France loft all Hopes of shaking the Prince Temple's of Orange's Conftancy, they bent all their Thoughts Memoirs, upon fubduing and running the remainder of the Country. They had advanced as far as Worden, and from thence they made their Ravages within two or three Leagues of Leyden, with more Violences and Cruelties than would have been prudent, if they had hop'd to reclaim the Prince or the States from their Obftinacy of their Defence, His Highness encamped his Army near Bodegrave, between Leyden and Worden, and being refolv'd to diflodge the advanc'd Guards of the French, made a Detachment of Horfe and Foot, and with them gave an Alarm to the Enemy, whom he chas'd as far as their Trenches before Utretcht, difheartned with the lofs of their own Men before Cronemburgh. While both Armies were thus bufied in the Field, great Change was made in the Magistracy in moft Cities to the general Satisfaction of the Inhabitants; and his Highnefs not being any longer able to fuffer the Corruption of Military Difcipline, which of late had been fo Fatal to the Republick, order'd several Officers to be punifh'd for their Remiffness in their Duty. As for the French, the Winter prov'd not favourable to their Designs, and fome promises of Froft inveigled them into Marches that difappointed their Hopes by a fudden Thaw. This frightned them into Cautions, perhaps more than were neceffary, and gave the Prince and States leifure to take their Measures for a following Campaign, with the Emperor, Spain, and the

Dukes

A. C. 1672.

n

Narden.

Dukes of Brandenburgh, and Lunenburg, which proved a Diverfion to the Arms of France, and turned part of them upon Germany and Flanders, fo as to give over the Progrefs any further in Holland. Upon the approach of the Winter, the Prince of Orange being fenfibly touched to fee the Seafon almoft paft without any confiderable Action, refolved to Attack Narden. For this purpofe he Com- The P. of mands Coll. Zuyleftein and Count Horn to Ad-Orange vance the firft to take his Quarters between V Befieges trecht and Narden, and the other to Intrench himself at Polanen, on the Saw-Mill-fide, whilft His Highnefs fat down with four Regiments on that fide next Bodegrave. The Duke of Luxemburgh with all imaginable speed haften'd to the Relief of the Befieg'd, and with about Eight or Nine Thoufand Men, fell upon Collonel Zuylestein, but was repulfed with lofs, and forc'd to retire. The Town was afterwards batter'd in a very furious manner, and reduc'd to fuch Extremities, that they fent to Catipulate. In this Interval, the Duke of Luxemburgh receiv'd a Reinforcement; march'd by a hollow Way full of Water, by the help of fome Guides; attack'd once more at unawares, the very fame Quarters of Coll. Zuyleftein, from whence he had been beaten the Night before, and after a Bloody Obftinate Difpute, wherein the Colonel was Slain, (having refufed Quarter) the Duke, at laft, threw a Relief of Three Thoufand Men into the Town; but nevertheless he was Beaten back the Second time by Count Horn, and forc'd to leave his Prifoners behind him. Of the French, there were Two Thousand kill'd, and Fifty Officers who died of their Wounds, after the Engagement; which caus'd a great Confternation among the French that were at Utrecht; the Hollanders loft Six or Seven Hundred Men, befides Colonel Zuylestein, a Lieutenant Colonel, and fome other Officers. His Highness feeing the Town had receiv'd fo confiderable a Relief, retir'd to his own Quarters, and rais'd the Siege with the comfort however of having cut in Pieces almoft Five entire Regiments of the Enemy, and of having twice repulfed an

Old

Raifes the

Siege,

A. C.

Old Experienc'd General, who had never fucceed1672. ed in his Defign, had it not been for the Treachery of the Peasants.

After this unfuccefsful Attempt upon Naerden, the Prince having Commanded the Horfe that were Quarter'd at Helden to hinder the English Merchandife from being Tranfported from Rotterdam and Brabant, march'd himself to Rofendael, which was the place of the General Rendezvous, from whence with an Army of 24000 Horfe and Foot, he bent his March towards the Country of Liege. At his approach the Count de Duras, who encamped at Mafeyk, retir'd with his Army to Vaffemburgh, and higher to the River Roer. His Highnefs's chief Defign was to drive the French from their Quarters near the Meufe, and to engage Count de Duras in a Battle, in Cafe he found a favourable Opportunity to do it. To Effect this, having paffed his Army upon a Bridge of Boats near Navagne, and join'd the Auxiliary Spaniards, he march'd directly to Tongres, and invefted it on all fides, with the Spanish Horfe and his own. He had no fooner done this, but News was brought him that Count de Duras had decamp'd,upon which repaffing the Meufe, between Sittart and MaJeyk, he pitch'd his Camp near Ainsbergh, where he continued two Days, to fee if he could draw the Count to a Battle; but the River which was fwell'd with the late Raias, not favouring his Defign, he return'd the fame way to Maestricht; from whence he fent a Detatchment of Horfe and Foot to make themselves Masters of the Caftle of Valcheren. This Castle was ftrongly Fortified, but af ter fome Refistance furrender'd at Difcretion. After this his Highness march'd to Lowick, ftill in hopes of Engaging the Enemy; but the Count de Duras had retir'd with mighty fpeed, and was got at fuch a distance, that 'twas impoffible for the Prince to come up to him.

At laft perceiving that the Enemy had no mind to hazard a Battle, his Highnefs order'd the Count de Marcin to Invest Charleroy with the Van-Guard, whilst he himself follow'd with the mainBody of the

Army;

Army; but the cold Weather rendring the open- A. C. ing of the Trenches impracticable, he abandon'd 1672. the Delign of a Siege; and having made himself Master of Bins, taken feveral Prifoners, pillag'd and demolish'd the Town, he march'd back the fame way, and difpos'd his Army into Winter Quarters, with the glory of having penetrated,in the midft of a violent Winter, into the Enemies Country, hunted an Old General from Place to Place; alarm'd the Count de Montal, who fometimes fhut himself in Tongres, fometimes in Charleroy, because he was afraid of both thefe Places; then to return home with abundance of Prifoners, and the Booty of two Fortified Places, and all this within the compass of nine Days, without the lofs of fcarce any of his Men. Not to mention the Terror he put the Arch-bishop of Cologne in, who neither thought himself fafe at Bonn, or any other Place within his own Territories, whilft the Prince was fo near him.

During his Highnefs's Expedition, the Duke of LuxemLuxemburg affembled an Army of 14000 Horfe and burgh's Foot, with a Refolution to Conquer the Province unsuccessful of Holland; and hoping to enrich himself and his Expedition. Men with the Pillage of Leyden, and the Hague, defign'd to march upon the Ice with the Flower of his Troops, towards the end of December, but being arriv'd at Slinwetering he found the Waters fo high, that only 3500 Foot could pafs, the reft being oblig'd to return to Naerden. This Party firft attack'd Newcrop, but were beaten off by the Peafants, fo that finding themfelves repuls'd on that fide, they directed their March towards Swammerdam, where the Garrison were the first that Fled, leaving the Inhabitants to the Mercy of the Enemy. Nevertheless Count Koning/mark, who Commanded at Bodegrave, upon Advice of the coming of the French, marched with all imaginable haste to Leyden, and posted a Regiment at Gourfluys to hinder their Incurfions on that fide.

This unexpected march of the French at first put the People into a great Confternation, particularly thofe of the Hague; but nothing difheartned them

A. C.

fo much, as to hear, that while the State took all 1672. poflible Measures to cut off the Enemies Retreat, Collonel Painvin had abandon'd his Poft atNiewerburgh, and retir'd to Tergow. By this means the French had a free Paffage to go home when they pleas'd, whereas otherwife they must either have perifh'd in the Water, or elfe Surrendred themselves at Difcretion, by reafon of the Thaw which follow'd foon after. But all their Fears vanifh'd at the Prince's return, who having at Breda receiv'd advice of this Enterprize of the French, march'd with incredible fpeed to Alfen, and in a fhort time re-establish'd every thing as before by his Prefence: All this while the Duke of Luxembrug ravag'd the Heart of the Country, where he had like to have loft his Life by a fall from his Horse into the Water; but though he made a shift to escape, it fared no fo with 600 of his Soldiers who were drowned; which put an end to this bold and hazardous Expedition.

den Recover'd.

The French committed unheard of Barbarities at Swammerdam, and all other Places of which they made themselves Mafters; but theie Loffes were in Coever- fome measure Recompenfed by the taking of Coeverden, at that time one of the ftrongeft Cities of the Low Countries, and the Key of Friezeland and Groningen. This Place fell into the Hands of the Bishop of Munster, in the fatal Year 1672. not without fufpicion of Treachery. But Fortune now declining to efpoule the French Intereft any longer, fince his Highnefs's Reftoration, it was re-taken by Aaffult, by a Party of 1000 Men, Commanded by Mr. de Rabenhaupt, with as much Gallantry and Courage, as it had been loft with Dishonour and Cowardice. The Bishop of Munfter had plentifully stor❜d that Place with a Prodigious Quantity of Provifions and Warlike Ammunitions, with defign to make it a Magazine for thofe Parts, and therefore the lofs of it extreamly mortified the Enemy, and put them into fuch a Confternation, that they immediately abandon'd feveral other Places. All thefe Succeffes did not a little contribute to raise the Reputation of the Prince of Orange, for the People