II O L I 
naval forces of England and France, which amounted to 
one hundred and fifty (hips.. All Europe fixed their eyes 
upon the . fu ll motions of two powerful kings, feconded 
by the bed gqneralsiof the age. 
The Frencli king joined Ins army at Charlerov. It con¬ 
fided of 110,000 men, under the command of marlhal Tu- 
renne, as captain-general. Holland could only be attacked 
by the Rhine or the Meufe; and the generals and mi- 
nifters differed by which of thele inlets they were to make 
the fir It imprefiion. At laft, after feveral deliberations, it 
was determined to make the attack by both thefe avenues 
at one and the fame time, in order the more to difconcert 
their ehemies. It is probable that Turenne always oppofed 
the fiege of Maeftricht; for we find him immediately after 
the furrender of Mafeik ftrongly diffuading the king from 
that enterprife, in oppofition to the fentiments of the 
prince of Conde. At laft he prevailed ; and it was re¬ 
folved in council to advance towards the Rhine, and be- 
fiege at the fame time the towns of Rhinberg, Veflel, Qr- 
foi, and Burick. Thele places were all well fortified, and 
deemed the keys of Holland; however, the Dutch did not 
appear difturbed at their being*inverted, as they did not 
immediately belong to the United Provinces. They were 
befides in hopes that any attempts upon the territory'of 
Cleves, would haften the preparations of the eleftor-of 
Brandenburgh, and even roufe the emperor into a fenfe 
of the danger he was in from the ambitious defigns of 
Louis. Nothing could oppofe armies fo well appointed, 
led by generals fo Ikilful and fo experienced. The four 
towns furrendered within a few’ days of each other; and 
Rhinberg, that held out longeft, opened its gates on the 
7th of June. A few days after, the town and fort of 
Rhees, and the town of Emerick, liifrendered; upon 
which Louis refolved to pals the Rhine by a ford, over 
which the cavalry w’ere to fwim. This bold enterprife 
was projected and conducted by Conde; who, in the face 
of two regiments of foot, and feveral lquadrons of horle, 
under general iWartz, intrenched on the oppofite fide, 
effetted the pallage, in the fame order, and with as much 
regularity, as if he had marched his troops on dry land. 
The enemy made a ftout refinance; but were driven from 
their poll, after having killed the duke de Longueville on 
the fpot, and wounded the prince of Conde, which difa- 
bled him for fome time from attending the fervice, and 
obliged him moll unwillingly to refign the command of 
his army to Turenne. 
It is almoft incredible with what rapidity towns and for- 
treffes yielded to the fortune of his majefty’s arms. The 
reduftion of Betau, the molt fruitful country of the United 
Provinces, and the furreiuler of Tolhus fort, obliged the 
prince of Orange to abandon the Ifiel, left he (hould be 
attacked in the rear, and to retire to the very heart of the 
country, as far as Rhenen, in the province of Utrecht. 
By this mean's the town of Arnheim, the forts of Knot- 
femborough, Voorn, St. Andre, and Shenck, the ftrongeft 
in the Netherlands, with a variety of other forts and towns, 
furrendered as foon as fummoned; and at laft Nimeguen, 
garrifoned by eight thoufand fighting men, was inverted. 
After the citizens, had for eight days exhibited lignal 
proofs of courage in defence of their liberties, they were 
forced to yield to the fuperior (kill of Turenne. 
In the mean time, the bifhop of Munfter and eleftor of 
Cologne having joined that body of troops under the com¬ 
mand of the duke of Luxemburgh, the united army en¬ 
tered the province of Overyffel, and by dint of cruelty 
and terror reduced the towns as foon as he appeared be¬ 
fore them. Animated by that implacable rage which con- 
ftantly attends religious wars, the tw r o prelates obliged 
the duke to exert a feverity, by no means fuited to his 
nature, againft heretics and the rebellious fubjetts of the 
houfe of Auftria. Next the king’s forces penetrate^ into 
the province of Utrecht, where their conquefts went on 
with the fame rapidity, and put the capital ot the province 
in the utmoft danger. To retard its fate, the Dutch could 
imagine no other expedient than opening their Unices-, 
and overflowing the counfry. The other towns followed 
the example of Utrecht; and Holland, Brabant, and Dutch 
Flanders, was one vaft con netted lake, the towns riling 
like iilsnds in the midft of the waters. Farther to ftem the 
torrent of Louis’s conquefts, the people were perfuaded 
that the only barrier was to lodge the fupreme authority 
in the hands of the prince af Orange. They accordingly 
obliged the dates of Holland and Weft Friefland to unite 
the dignity of ftadtholder to thofe of captain-general and 
high-admiral, with which the prince was already inverted. 
They likewife lent remonftrances fo pathetic to the king of 
England, that Charles, moved with the fituation of the 
republic, and jealous of the defigns of Louis, difpatched 
the duke of Buckingham and earl of Arlington to quiet 
the fear's of the Dutch, and infill upon the French king’s 
penetrating no farther into Holland. In cafe of Louis’s 
refulal, Charles declared he would break the alliance; as 
he perceived that, inftead of fecuring Zealand to the Eng- 
lifh, agreeably to the treaty, the defigns of France were 
to unite the whole republic to their own monarchy. His 
Chriftian majefty in fact paid no great regard to the menaces 
of his ally : but, as perfifting obftinately to advance into a 
country which the inundation rendered impaflable might 
terminate in the ruin of all his fchemes, he Teemed, out 
of compliment to the king of England, to liften to terms , 
of accommodation; which, qfter all his vittories, could 
not fail of proving.advantageous. In the fpace of three 
months he had conquered the provinces of Guelderland, 
Overyffel, and Utrecht, taken about fifty tbvvns and forts, 
and made twenty-four thoufand prifoners. The prifoners 
were releafed for a trifling ranfom; and the French army, 
reduced and exhaufted by continual drains, were fent to 
garril'on the conquered places. 
A negociation was let on foot at Boxtel, near Bois-lc- 
duc, whither the French king, attended by the Englilh 
ambaffadors and the Dutch deputies, repaired: but the 
terms required of the republic were fo hard and unquali¬ 
fied, that they were rejetted with difdain by the Dutch; 
who, animated by their ftadtholder, refolved to wait a 
change of fortune in the midft of the waters. They ufed 
every expedient to roufe the princes of Germany in their 
defence; and the eiettor of Brandenburgh, the neareft 
and molt interefted prince, prepared to take the field. 
The undaunted courage, the vigilance, the public fpirit, 
of the prince of Orange, gained him the entire confidence 
and affettion of the republic; and excited their relent- 
ment againft the two brothers De Witts, his implacable 
enemies, whom they accul'ed of receiving penfions from 
Louis. The fuggeftion wasfalfe; but poffibiy their jea- 
loufy of the houfe of Orange had carried thofe two great 
politicians too far in their complaifance to the French 
monarch. The penlionary was attacked in the llreet by 
the populace; but by his perfonal bravery he broke through 
the crowd, and faved his life, though covered with wounds. 
Soon after the (edition broke out afrelh, and the partifans 
of the houfe of Orange again birred up the animofity of 
the republic againft the De Witts. Several crimes were 
laid to the penfioner’s charge, but he juftified himfelf. 
Suborned witneffes accufed his brother of an attempt to 
poil'on the prince of Orange. Cornelius was imprifoned, 
and treated with great barbarity. While he was under 
the torture, he lung that ode of Horace, JuJlum et tenacem 
preppfiti virum. His brother took him out of prifon after fen- 
tence of banilhment was pronounced; but the tumult role 
high, and both the De Witts were cruelly torn in pieces 
in the ltreets. William of Orange feemed touched at this 
terrible lacrifice; he made the penfionary’s eulogium, and 
ordered the murderers to be prolecuted; however, the 
clemency he (bowed them, the advantages he obtained 
by the maflacre, and the animofity he bore the De Witts, 
convinced all men that he did not difcountenance the 
murder. 
William of Orange, in the mean time, daily ingratiated 
himlelf more. He gave up his whole fortune for the lafety 
of the Hate; and exerted himfelf with fuch prudence and 
ab ility 
