People obferving how much all Affairs went for the better, ever fince the Management of them was lodged in his Highnefs's Hands, they easily enclin❜d to afcribe this unexpected Profperity to his Bravery and Conduct.

31 A. C.

1673.

Divifions

At this time the Difputes between the new and old Magiftrates of Friezeland were maintain'd with in Frizethat Heat and Animofity, that they held their land made Affemblies apart, and thwarted each other by their up by the oppofite Refolutions. This Disorder, which might Prince of in time have proved Pernicious to the Publick Re-Orange. pofe, could never be determin'd by the Government of that Province, nor by the Princefs Dowager of Orange; but no fooner did his Highness interpofe in this Affair by his Commiffioners, but all these Breaches were repair'd,and the Country once more fettled inOrder andUnion.After this hisHigh- And in nefs went in Perfon to Zealand, where the fame Di-Zealand. vifions reign'd as in Friezeland; and at his firft Appearance in the Affembly of the States of that Province at Middelburgh, all the Differences vanish'd, to the great Satisfaction of the People and Magiftrates, and to the Praife of our Illuftrious Prince. From thence his Highness took occafion to go and view the Frontiers and Fortifications of Flushing, Sluys, Ardenburgh, Affendyk, Bergen-op-zoom, Breda, Boifleduc, and other Places; and then return'd to the Hague.

The Spring was by this time well advanc'd, and the Hollanders had bufinefs enough on their Hands for on one fide they were affaulted by the King of France in Perfon with a Powerful Army, and the Prince of Condé, with the Duke of Luxemburgh were at Utrecht with great Forces, watching an opportunity to throw themselves into the Heart of the Country; and on the other fide the King of Great Britain vigorously attack'd them at Sea, with his Fleet, in Conjunction with that of France. For thefe Reasons the Prince of Orange could not ftir a broad, being conftrain'd to keep his Poft, as well to have an Eye upon the Prince of Condé and the Duke of Luxemburgh, as to prevent the Landing of the Englife.

On

A. C.

On the 10th of June 1673. the King of France 1673. fat down before Maeftricht with an Army of 40000 Horfe and Foot; the Garrifon of the Place Maeftricht confifting of about 4000 Foot, and 8 or 900 Befieg'd Horfe, under the Command of Monfieur de Far and taken jaux, a brave experienced Captain. The Siege by the King was carried on with all that Vigour and Ardour of France. which a well Difciplin'd Army fhew when they Fight in the Prefence of a great King, as Generous in Rewarding Courage, as Severe in Punishing. Cowardife: On the other hand.the Refistance of the Befieged was answerable to the Attacks of the Befigers; till after a ftout Defence, which lafted near three Weeks, the Garrifon being reduc'd to one half, and the reft wanting Provifions and Ammunition, the Governour was forc'd at laft to Capitulate, at the repeated Inftances of the Magiftrates, or, as fome pretend, by the Treachery of fome Ecclefiafticks of the Romish Perfwafion. However, upon a Faithful Relation' which the Governour gave the Prince of all that had happen'd, his Highnefs was fo well fatisfied with his Conduct, that he made him Major General of his Army. The taking of this important Place cost the King ofFrance 9000 of his belt Soldiers, all his Mufqueteers except Seven, and an infinite number of brave Officers. Therefore his Majesty thinking he had done enough for this Campaign, having caus'd the Fortifications of Tongres to be Demolish'd,immediately divided his Army, part of which he fent to the Marefchal de Turenne; another Body was appointed to ravage the Country of Trier,because the Elector of that Name had taken the Emperor's fide; and three Brigades march'd to Reinforce the French in Holland.

During this Interval a Squadron of French Men The Eng-of War having * joyn'd the English Navy, Comlith and manded by Prince Rupert, the whole Fleet weigh'd French Anchor on the 31th of May, and steer'd towards Fleet joyn, the Coaft of Holland. On the 8th and 14th of June May 26. there happen'd two Engagements between the Englife and the Dutch, wherein the firft had fome fmall Advantage, and forc'd the latter to Retreat among their Shallows. On the 26th of July Prince

N. S.

Rupers

Rupert fet Sail again from the Buoy in the Nore in A. C. queft of the Enemy, whom he Engaged a third 1673. time, and after a ftout and valiant Contest obtain'd

a dear-bought Victory, and came to an Anchor near And EnHarwich.

gage three

Dutch

The French Army being difpers'd, and the Eng-times the lifh Fleet after the laft Engagement leaving the Fleet. Coaft of Holland, the Prince of Orange found him- The Prince felf more at Liberty, and longing to be in Action, Orange he recall'd all the Troops that were in Zealand, Bafieges to come and joyn the rest of his Army, and march'd and takes all on the fudden to Befiege Naerden with 25000 Naerden. Men. The Duke of Luxemburgh with a Body of 10000 Men, befides 4 Regiments of Munfterian Horse, advanc'd as far as the Prince's Intrenchments, but not daring to relieve the Town, his Highness pursued his Enterprize, took the Counterfcarp by Affault, and the Ravelin before the Huyferport after three hours Resistance, forc'd the Befieg'd to retire into the Town in great Disorder, and obliged them the Day following to Capitulate. In fhort, after a Siege of four Days, the Town was Surrendred, on Condition the Garrifon fhould march out with Colours flying, Drums beating, and with two pieces of Cannon; but notwithftanding this honourable Capitulation, the French Governour being tried at Utrecht by a Court Martial, was Ignominously Degraded, and condemned to perpetual Imprisonment. What ever was the reafon of the Garrifon's defending themselves no longer, his Highness who, to encourage the Soldiers by his own Example, expos'd himself to all dangers, both in the Trenches, and upon the Batteries, carried the Town with the lofs only of 109 Men Kill'd, and 200 Wounded; whereas the Enemy loft abundance more, which is quite contrary to what happens in all other Sieges. The Prince having given the neceffary Orders to repair the Fortifications, and left a fufficient Garrison in the Place, under the Command of Count Koningsmark a Brave Experienc'd Captain; his Highness retura'd to the Hague to prepare himself for fome greater Designs,

D

Upon

A. C.

1673.

Upon the Approach of the Winter his Highness * refolved, like another young Scipio, to fave his Country by abandonning it, and avoid fo many Sir. W. Sieges, as all the Towns they had loft would coft Temple's to recover; therefore after the States had made a Memoirs. ftricter Alliance with the King of Spain and the

Emperour, the Prince of Orange, to perform fomething Remarkable before the Seafon was over, ad. vanc'd to Rofendael in Brabant with his Army, and joyn'd the Count de Monterey, who without the leaft Difficulty yielded to him the Command of all the Confederate Forces. But finding the Prince of Condé had chang'd his Poft upon the News of the two Armies being joyn'd, and that he had fo well Intrench'd himfelt that it was impotlible to attack him, he advanc'd higher and joyn'd the Imperial Army, Commanded by Montecuculi, between Andernack and Bonn. In his March he Summon'd Rhinback to Surrender, which through the Perfwafion of a Burgher, who encourag'd the reit to make Refiftance, being refus'd, he commanded the Sieur de Walkemburg to Storm the Town, which was perform'd with that Fury, that the Soldiers upon their firft Entrance put all to the Sword; and, amongst the reft, hang'd up the Burgher who had fo ill advis'd them as to make an Oppofition.

The Confederates being now joyn'd, it was re Bonn Be- folv'd to Befiege Bonn, which had been put into fieged and the Hands of France at the beginning of the War, taken by wherein the Elector of Cologn, and the Bishop of the P. of Munster had enter'd joyntly with France. The Orange. Boldness of this Action amas'd all Men, but the

Succefs extoll'd the Prudence as well as the Bravery of it, for the Prince took Bonn, notwithstanding the Refiftance of a numerous Garrifon, reinforc'd by Marefchal d'Humieres, and by it open'd a Paffage for the German Forces over the Rhine, and fo into Flanders.

Bonn being taken,his Highness retir'd to Veffeling, and from thence marching lower with his Army, and that of the Imperialifts, (which he alfo Commanded in the Abfence of Montecuculi) he took the Cities of Brevel and Schwish. All this while

Marefchal

Marefchal Turenne kept himfelf at a diftance, for although he receiv'd the News that Bonn was Befieg'd, and had a great defire to attempt the raifing of the Siege, yet knowing that the Duke of Lorrain lay upon the Banks of the Mofelle to obferve him, he mov'd up and down in the Electorate of Mentz, being very much concern'd that he was no fooner inform'd of the Conjunction of the Confederates.

This fuccefsful Expedition of the Prince of O- The French range gave fuch a damp to the Defigns and Enter- leave their prizes of France, that they immediately abandon'd Conquests all their Conquefts upon Holland, in lefs time than in Hol they made them, retaining only Maeftricht and the land. Grave. Woerden was the first Place they quitted, as it was the firft that fuffer'd under their Tyranny, the Governour having receiv'd Orders from the Duke of Luxemburgh to difmantle it, to carry away with him all the Ammunition and the heavy Cannon, and to exact the Summ of 20000 Livers from the Inhabitants to fave their Houfes from Plunder. Harderwick was alfo difmantled; yet for all that the French had the good manners to demand 12000 Livers of the Inhabitants, but the richeft Burghers having long before quitted the Town, they were forc'd to go without it. The Fort of Crevecoeur was utterly Demolish'd; nevertheless the French made an offer to fave the Church and the Governour's Houfe for the Summ of 3000 Piftols, to be paid by the Inhabitants of Boifleduc, but their Propofal being rejected, they neither fpar'd the House nor the Church. Bemmel, a Fortrels of great Importance, upon the Fortifications of which Place the King of France had expended the Summi of 20000 Livers, was alfo deferted, the Inhabitants giving at the fame time 12 Hoftages for the Pays ment of 6000 Livers to fave their Houfes trom be. ing Pillaged. Utrecht, where the French had always between 6 or 7000 Men in Garrifon, was likewife abandon'd, the Burghers having given Hoftages for the Payment of 100000 Crowns. Upon the Retreat of the French from this Place the Burghomafters were Abfolv'd from the Oath

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they