A. D. 1672. 567 



of the fined and mofl; extraordinary monuments of human induftry. 

 Four deputies, came to the king's camp to implore his clemency for a 

 republic, which fix months before had thought herfelf the arbitrator 

 between kings. Thofe fuppliants were received with haughtineis, and 

 even with infults and raillery, by Louvois the minifler, and were made 

 to return feveral times. At length the king ordered his determina- 

 tion to be declared to theni, viz. ifl, the dates to deliver up all they 

 poflefTed on the other fide the Rhine, with Nimeguen, and feveral 

 other towns and forts in the heart of their territories : 2dly, to pay 

 the king 20 millions : 3dly, that France for the future fhould be maf- 

 ter of all the great roads of Holland, both by land and water, with- 

 out paying any tolls : 4thly, that the catholic religion fhould be every- 

 where reflored : 5thly, that the republic fhould annually fend an am- 

 baflador extraordinary to the French court with a gold medal, where- 

 on fhould be engraved an acknowlegment that they held their liber- 

 ties of Louis XIV : 6thly, and finally, that they fhould alfo make fa- 

 tisfa6lion to the king of England and the princes of the empire, par- 

 ticularly thofe of Cologne and Munfler, by whom Holhnd dill conti- 

 nued to be ravaged. 



' Thefe conditions,' (continues Voltaire) ' which approached fo near- 

 to flavery, appeared intolerable ; and the rigour of the conqueror in- 

 fpired the vanquifhed with a defperate courage. They determined, 

 therefor, to die in defence of their liberty. Their hearts and hopes 

 were all turned upon the prince of Orange, and their fury, againd the 

 grand penfionary John de Witt and his brother Cornelius, both of. 

 whom were madacred by the mob at the Hague. They immediately, 

 cut the dikes which kept out the fea, whereupon the country houfes, 

 which are innumerable round Amderdam, alfo the villages and neigh- 

 bouring towns, fuch as Leyden, Delft, &c. were overwhelmed ; and 

 yet the country people did not repine at feeing their herds of cattle 

 drowned in the fields. Amderdam itfelf appeared like a vad fortrels 

 in the midd of the fea, furrounded with fhips of war, which now had : 

 depth of water fufficient to make them be dationed round the city, 

 where frefh water was now fold at fix divers per pint. What will be 

 mod wondered at by poderity is, that Holland, whild thus over- 

 whelmed on the land, was yet formidable on the ocean under De 

 Ruyter, who, with 100 fhips of war and 50 fire-fhips, gave battle to 

 the united fleets of England and France at Solebay, and afterwards 

 brought their Ead-India fleet fafe into the Texel ; thereby defending 

 and enriching his country on one fide, whild Louis was dedroying it 

 on the other. In brief, the emperor Leopold, the great eledor of 

 Brandenburg, Frederick William, the governor of the Spanifh Ne- 

 therlands, all flew to the aflidance of the Dutch ; and as no more 

 conqueds could be made in a country overwhelmed with water, Louis 



