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FRANCE. ; 608 
monarchy should wished to invest him with the powens and the digni- History; 
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Circum- ties of his ancestors. . De. Witt, however, had the com- 
claims. on Brabant, mand of the resources of the republic at the time when 
ast preparations, Mary Anne of Aus- Louis prepared to invade it; and he was blamed for 
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neglecting the land forces, and directing his whole care 
superstitious 
1 confessor, np to the marine. Even after ue bei ke nee French 
inted grand inquisitor, monarch, projected. an invasion, by e seems to 
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have been deceived with renpect to the side on which 
it would be made ; for he taken his tionary 
of the, kingdom were and defensive measures almost exclusively on the side 
the opportunity thus pre- of Maestricht. Louis, however, having made an alli- 
army of 40,000 men, di- ance with Cologne, chose that quarter for commencing 
Colbert, aw amply sup his hostile operations against Holland. But it was first 
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necessary to enter the territories of the Duke of Lor- 
ines or garrisons; raine, on which, as he had no hopes of gaining the 
condition, sur- consent of the Duke, he resolved to seize ; ee. 
Lisle. alone resisted ing to justify his conduct on the unsupported and fri- 
king returned to Paris, after , that intrigues dangerous to the French 
had been carrying on at the court of Lor- 
raine. Before he eet ae territories of the Dutch, 
the 
the Prince of Condé was roused by he issued a declaration of war against them. In this 
~ re- 
he did not condescend to specify particulars, but con« 
hagenporads tented himself with the general and haughty assertion, 
Franche that the insolence of the Dutch had been so great, that 
on Flanders, or rather nga Det consints lee ingly any. lonete tn bert i. 
er the Spanish dominions, and _ Holland was now threatened with a greater force than 
they did had ever been directed against her. The combined 
vileges, and ruled fleets of England and. France, amounting to upwards 
rust entirely of 100 sail,.was ready to ravage her coasts; and a 
OE NASIR ana French army of 120,000 excellent » assisted and 
directed by the talents of Turenne, é, Luxem- 
in a very short time. burg, and, Vauban, was preparing to enter the fron- 
s Dole surrendered ; in three weeks of the tiers. Louis passed the Meuse at Visat ; and in a very 
the whole province was uered. few days, having made himself master of the intervens 
panish Nether- ing towns, approached the Rhine. The season was 
the other extremely favourable to him; the greatest rivers were 
olland, almost dried up by the excessive drought ; the French 
cavalry, ani by the presence of their sovereign, 
apprehensive of a more powerfu plunged into the stream, and were feebly opposed by 
queen’s ri to the 
tch ; so that the passage of the Rhine was ac- 
he complished with no danger or difficulty. In little more Rapid suc- 
last campaign ; than a month, the provinces of Guelderland, Overyssel, cess of 
and Utrecht, were in possession of Louis; and the only Louis in it. 
the — difficulties ining were in the provinces of Holland 
manner t and Zealand. The king here committed an error: in- 
stead of ing forward with his whole force, as he 
day, the French was advised to do by Condé and Turenne, he was pre- 
ambassador—‘ I yailed upon by Louvois to add new fortifications to his 
replied he, “ but conquests, which, acquiring additional garrisons, ne- 
affront was aggravated cessarily weakened his main army. 
: the States ordered a medal to In the mean time, the Dutch were successful at sea, 
De Ruyter having defeated the combined fleets of Eng- 
x informed 
republic had conciliated kings, and land and France in Solebay. 
The Prince of Orange, unable to withstand the vic- 
alone were sufficient torious and greatly superior armies of Louis, retired 
Louis to war, were now added, inthe case with his dispiri 
into the province of Holland. 
wounded pride. Underthe Naarden, within nine miles of Amsterdam, was redu- 
he prepared to humble the ced by the Marquis of Rochefort; and had he taken 
: es II. of Eng- possession of Meyden, the keys of which were deli- 
and bribing vered to some of his troops, but recovered by the ma- 
Charles XI. of Sweden gistrates, Amsterdam must have fallen. Louis himself, 
instead of pushing forward, remained at Utrecht, wast- 
enemy tothe jing his time in vain parade, At this period, John de 
the measures concerted for my <a States should sue for peace ; and 
proposition, notwithstanding the Prince of 
iod of danger, Holland was divided and Orange was decidedly averse to it. , But the deputies 
two factions ; the one headed by Johnde were received by Louvois with excessive bahgbtties 
snbegeity 3 and the intolerable conditions were insisted on, that the 
Orange's partizans, who States should give up all their possessions beyond the 
