HE following piece will fhew to what fubterfuges the French advocates are driven to justify the conduct of their great prince in the prefent war, and what opinion the world muft have of a caufe which ftands in A need of fo weak a fupport. REMARKS on Abbe ROUSSEAU's Campaigns of the French King: from a Piece publib'd at UTRECHT. OF all the flatterers who have been the houfe of Auftria by the groffeft calumnies and falfhoods. "The war (S "this new hiftorian) which has, for "thefe 5 or 6 years paft, laid walle Eu 66 66 rope, had never been kindled, if that "houfe had not from time to time deprived of their pofleflions feveral tovereign princes who had contributed " of thofe eftates with which that houfe "to its advancement. The recovery "had fo prodigioufly calarged the "bounds of the finall county of Haps"bourg, was the motive to the war "which thefe injur'd princes enter'd "into, in 1740, against Maria Theraja Walpurga, eldest daughter of the emperor Charles VI. and wife of Francis Stephen of Lorrain duke of Tuscany; "who claims the right of fole heiress: "of the Auftrian fucceffion, by the title "of queen of Hungary and Babemia. "The kings of Spain, Prufia, Sardinia, "and the elector of Bavaria, afterwards "Charles VII. emperor, reclaimed, ei"ther by right of reftitution, or by Cright of fucceffion and reititution, the for more than 14 centuries the plague of courts, none are more diftin- B guilh'd than greedy ecclefiaftics; and of thefe none, perhaps, has carry'd the art of flattery, the poijon of princes, to a greater extravagance than Abbe Rouleau, in his book intitled, "The campaigns of the king in 1744 and 1745, defcrioing the conquefts of his majesty and his allies in Flanders, Germany, Silefia and Italy." This piece, tho' pretended in the title page to be printed at Amiterdam by Wetstein, really came from the prefs of Rolin, jun. at Paris. The work itfelf is no more than a detail of military tranfactions and events known to every body. But the author has made it his principal bufinefs to put truth out of countenance, and to vilify and traduce 66 "dominions which belonged to them. "The queen of Hungary oppofed to "their demands an act called the progr "matic fanétion, which feveral European princes had approved, javing the right of another She pretended "that by virtue of this act he was "bound in confcience not to refign the *There is no fuch claufe in the act. "leaft 64 leaft part of the territories poffeffed 06 by the emperor her father. To pre"vent the ruin of Europe, (continues our faithful hiftorian) the claimants, "out of love to peace and the public "good, propofed a partition more advantageous to that queen, than fhe A "had reafon to expect. But the Eng"life, enemies to peace, thwarted all 66 means of accommodation, and offer'd "their forces to that princefs, in hopes "that the prefent conjuncture would "give them an opportunity of coming "off with honour from a war with B "Spain, in which they had engaged "with much more animofity than rea"fon. Thus, war became inevitable, "and all parties prepared for it. The emperor Charles VII. and the king "of Spain obtain'd of France auxiliary troops, &c.' Such is M. Rouffeau's account; but, unhappily for him, all C that he fays on this fubject, is confuted by a multitude of facts directly contrary. And, if he fpeaks fincerely, he certainly must be, as to these affairs, the most ignorant man in all Europe. But, what can never be pardon'd, is his rafhness in afferting that the houfe of Austria is oblig'd for its advancement to princes in- D ftrumental in promoting it, whom the deprived of their own dominions and hereditary poffeffions, and by fuch means enlarged the bounds of the petty county of Hapibourg. Befides, what is moft fhocking to all perfons of fenfe and probity in this accufation, (which can only be true of the greateft tyrants and monfters of ingratitude) the author has notorioufly difgraced and betray'd himself by fuch marks of ignorance as the groffelt fattery can never palliate or excufe. How fhameful is it for the Abbe not to know, what every novice in hiftory is well acquainted with, that the houfe of Auftria is beholden for much the greater part of its power and poffeflions to treaties of marriages, that have annex'd to it thofe kingdoms, provinces, dominions and territories, of which it has been in full poffeffion for above 200 years, and which were far more in number before France had either wrested, or caus'd the lots of a very confiderable part. Let us but compare the power and grandeur of that family under the emperor Charles V. with the prefent state, and we fhall fee how much it is declined, and that by means of the force or cunning of the house of Bourbon, which in lefs than 50 years has ravifh'd from it not only provinces, but the kingdoms of Spain and the Indies, of Naples and Sicily, which defeended to it not by right of conqueft, or depriving other princes of their proper dominions, but by right of inheritance. What fhame is it for M. Rouffeau to be ignorant of the diftich fo common in the mouths even of schoolboys for 200 years, Bella gerant alii, tu, felix Auftria, nube; Que dat Mars aliis, dat tibi regna Venus. Let others fight, in nuptials, Auftria, close; Mars crowns on them, Venus on thee beftows. What a multitude of indecent reflexions has he thrown out, with regard to the pragmatic fanction, which he treats like a paltry fettlement drawn by some scrivener of a petty village. And yet that act is one of the most folemn treaties and engagements, contracted, figned, approved and guaranty'd by all the powers of Europe without exception; by France itfelf, by Spain, and by their allies, who have all fworn to defend it with their whole force, and to fupport the queen of Hungary, whom they acknowledged as the jole lawful beirejs of the whole indivifible eftates of the emperor Charles VI. her father, AGAINST ALL WHO SHOULD DARE TO CONTEST IT WITH HER. The tenor, the force, the authenticity of this engagement, folemnly enter'd into by France not 8 years ago, had, it feems, never come to the writer's knowledge. In that cafe Send the dolt again to school. perhaps he may there learn to reafon in better logic than when he says, “That Europe might not be expofed to ma"nifeft ruin, and out of love to peace "and the public weal, the princes" (who declared war against the queen of Hungary 6 years ago)" propofed a par tition of her eltates among themselves "much more to her advantage than the F" had reafon to expect." What a mighty advantage must it be to have her inheritance, devolved to her by the death of her father, and guaranty'd by all the powers of Europe, parcell'd out among other potentates, and yet pretend that this partition, which appears to be that of the lyon in the fable, was the most favourable event fhe had room to hope! This is certainly a new way of reasoning. Suppofe M. Ronfeau poffeffed of a good benefice, or a confiderable patrimony, (which perhaps may be true) and 3 or 4 impudent and hungry pettifoggers fhould come and civilly propofe to him a like divifion of his poffeffions; "would "he think it for his advantage, and accept it out of love to peace, and the public good, and that he might not G H 66 2 of HUNGARY defended. "expose to manifeft (or rather chime"rical) ruin" the city, town or village, in which his abbey or patrimony are fituated? The fame fpirit of flattery which directs his pen, and, by his way of reafon- A ing, feems to have turned his head, has hurry'd him into more extravagant and culpable expreffions. Not fatisfy'd with reprefenting the houfe of Auftria as a race of tyrants and ufurpers, that enrich'd themselves with the fpoils of other princes who were "inftrumental to their advancement", he traduces the fingle remaining branch of that auguft family as a moniter of cruelty, who orders, or at leaft permits, her troops to exercife fuch barbarities towards her enemies as are fhocking to nature. Charles VII. he fays, was not fo fortunate as the K. of Pruffia, who by his victories at Molwitz and Czaflaw forced that queen to restore to him Silefia. "At first, in"deed, that emperor made himself "mafter of Upper Auftria, and Bohemia, "where he was proclaimed king. But "the face of his affairs was changed af"ter the treaty of Breflaw, which gave "liberty to the Auftrian forces to unite "againit him. His own dominions "were invaded, and treated with inhu"manity. Many of his national troops, "with the French auxiliaries, were made "prisoners of war, and conducted into "Transylvania, where most of them perifhed with pains and hardships. "He was expelled from Auftria and "Bohemia, and afterwards deprived of "his own country, Bavaria, which he "did not regain till 1743. The Au"6 ftrians ruin'd his territories with rapine, fire and fword. The fick and "wounded foldiers were maffacred in "the very hospitals; many cities and "villages were burnt; the fuburbs of "Munich being fired at day break, the "inhabitants endeavouring to escape "from the flames in their fhirts, were "forced back into them by the Austrians "with their bayonets. The director "of a manufactory was nailed to his "own door, and hot; his wife, big "with child, and his daughter were firit "ravished, and then had their bellies ript. Several fovereign ftates of Germany had the fame treatment, on account of their neutrality, and the dutchy of Modena underwent the fame "barbarities from the Auftrians and "Piedmonteje." All know that war itself is a fcourge, and the cruelties and ravages attending is, often exceed all bounds, and are in B C D 5 capable of reftraint. For thefe calamities the people are oblig'd to the folly and ambition, the pride and obftinacy of their rulers, which bring all thofe evils; and every one is fenfible that this greatest of human plagues, war, which is the most unpardonable of all crimes, when, without reason, it is carry'd on againft a people whote fovereign has given no occafion for it, becomes neceflary, lawful, and even indifpentable, on a contrary fuppofition. For as princes are forbidden by divine and human laws to make unjult war, fo the fame laws oblige them in confcience to defend themfelves againit fuch as, contrary to the rules of equity, attack them. None but those who are deprived of their reafon, or, what is much the fame, blinded by their paffions, will deny this truch, the due application of which will effectually confute the falfe and injurious reflections of M. Rouleau on the hard fate of the French and Bavarians in Germany, and of the French in Italy. What was their intent in marching into thele countries? Was the Q. of Hungary the firit aggreffor, or those who invaded the territories of that princefs with a defign to share them among themselves? She had the good fortune to repulfe them, and to purfue them into their own country, of which fhe depriv'd them in her turn, and repaid them part of the evils which they had brought upon her fubjects. What is there in all this contrary to right, and the inconteftable law of arms? What foundation have the ridiculous clamours of M. Rouffeau? Mult the French and their allies be permitted to carry fire and fword into the territories of their neighbours, and these have their hands ty'd up, and be forbidden to repel force by force, and to use the right of reprifals? Let the reader decide the point. But there is one thing which we cannot forbear taking notice of as it des ferves; and that is the frightful defcription which he gives us of the barbarities exercised by the Auftrian troops in Bavaria, and feveral other principa lities of Germany, and in Italy by the Piedmonteje; fhocking barbarities indeed, and unknown to Phalaris and Bufiris the famous tyrants of old, and never exercis'd in Europe fince the cei fation of thofe bloody wars excited by the pricfts for reasons which the prefent times are afham'd to own. It is certainly in the history of thote wars, which will eternife the barbarity of our forefathers, that M. Roufeau has been searching to dreis out his tragical ftory of the vilifying those who have been forced to take up arms against them, and whose character is no lels facred? If M. RoufJeau thinks to make his court to a juft and wife monarch, by fuch strokes as thefe, he must be destitute of those quaA lities himself. director of a manufactory, (whom he But M. Rouleau thinks he has not done enough in giving us to fhocking an idea of a princes, whole only crime is not tamely fuffering herself to be strip'd of her dominions by France and her allies; but, as if all that belong'd to her, or were in alliance with her, had thrown off humanity, he would make us believe that the fame exceffes of cru-E elty were committed by the Piedmonteje troops under the eyes of the K. of Sardinia, who commanded them. Is it decent (to fay no more) thus to treat a crowned head? Is there no way of courting the favour of princes, by comparing them, as their flatterers and alTies do, to Alexander, Cajar, Marius, Pompey, and other celebrated deftroyers of mankind, without traducing and *The ambition of Alexander the Great coft the lives of feveral milions. Of Julius Cæfar we read, that, in his eight first campaigns he took 800 cities, many of which he barnt and plunder'd; that he fubdued 350 different nations, engaged, at different times, with three millions of men; of whom he kill'd 1,100,000, took as many piifoners, whom he made flaves, and dilperfed the reft To thefe we may add almit numberlets multitudes of his fellow ci tizens who, on his account, perifhed in the civil wars. Yet this is not all his fpite to the Q. of Hungary makes him still heighten the frightful colours in which he has drawn her. After he had related the general rout of the French and Bavarians in Germany, above 10,000 of whom had furrender'd at Branau on conditions, he fays, "of remaining an year in Bava"ria, without bearing arms against the queen, after which term they fhould "be free, he proceeds as follows. "The court of Vienna, accustomed to "fign all treaties, for the pleasure of "obferving none, figned this capitula 66 tion of the troops, but afterwards "order'd them to be put in irons, and "conducted into the remoteft parts of "Hungary. Most of them perilhed on "the road for want of neceflaries, which "the worst of barbarians would not "withold from their beatts; the ways 66 were covered with carcaffes. Thofe "who could hold out to reach the place "of their captivity, to fay nothing of "their laft miteries, paffed thro' Vien na, under the eyes of the queen. Let those who have feen the capitulation, which was published at that time, and been fince committed by many princes, even tions. And yet thefe are the worthy actions, The like happened before him, un-human nature, and not be ftruck with horrer? der Marius and Syla, as well as after his deceal, under 0fdoras Cefar, his adopted fon and fucceff r.-In imitation of these human butchers, the fame laughter and ravages have And must not we acknowledge that flatterers are the boldest and most impudent of all mankind, in daring to compare their fovereigns to fuch moniters? M. ROUSSEAU's Hiftory cenfured. and faithfully obferved in all its points, take the trouble of confuting thefe notorious falfhoods invented by the author to inspire the French with his own fpite and rage against the queen of Hungary, because her victorious arms had driven them out of Germany. Another end, which our Abbe appears to have in view, by thus heaping up falfhoods, is, to justify, beforehand, to his readers, the declaration of war made at laft by France, in all its forms, against the Q. of Hungary, which the had already carry'd on, for three years B paft, under the name of allies. Weary of fo long acting the fimple part of an auxiliary, and finding that the partition of that princess's dominions, with which the had tempted the princes in alliance with her, did not fucceed, the refolved to make war on her own account, and to deprive the queen of that C part of her hereditary dominions, that lay most exposed to her attacks, which was the Auftrian Low Countries. A very confiderable part of those provinces the had already conquered in the former wars in which he was engaged with that houfe, and kept poffeffion of it. D Like the monkey in the fable, which made ufe of the cat's paw to pull the chefnut out of the fire, fhe engaged her allies in a war which fhe knew would not fucceed, but was however very advantageous to her, by weakening the Q. of Hungary, and to rendering the conqueft of that part of her eftates, which was the object of her ambition, much the cafier. This happen'd according to her wishes; and fhe foon found a pretence to throw off the mask. The ill fuccefs of France and her allies in Germany, and the reprifals which the queen thought fit to ufe on that account, ferv'd as reafons to declare war against her, which had already been refolved four years before. "So many violent and 66 fcattered their enemies wherever they came, and took towns as foon as they came in fight of them, Coni excepted, which, notwithstanding its vigorous defence, the prince of Conti, fays he, would infallibly have carry'd, had not the feafon of the year and the elements frustrated his efforts; a difappointment which ended the campaign of 1744. That of 1745 was opened in Flanders with the fiege of Tournay, which the army of the Q. of Hungary's allies, that confifted only of 35,000 men, attempted to raile. The French had fat down before the place with an army of 120,000 men, 40,000 of which were employ'd in the fiege. The D. of Cumberland, with a relolution to attack the enemy, advanced to Fontenay, where the French were encamped, and their camp fortified in an extraordinary manner. Here M. Roujeau, in order to magnify the valour, and raife the glory of his countrymen and their commanders, makes their enemies in the battle perform all that bravery can infpire into intrepid foldiers, under the conduct of generals. confummate in the art of war. He confelles (and perhaps it is the only truth in his whole book) that "in the height "of that famous battle, the enemies, "having clofed the heads of their co"lumns into one, fell furioufly upon. the centre of the French, where the "valour of his majesty's guards, and "the troops which fupported them, ' E" was forced to yield to numbers. By "this motion, he adds, and the fud"dennels of the attack, our troops gave unjult actions, fays M. Ronfeat, de"termined his molt chriftian majelly to "publish two declarations of war in "March 1744, one against the Q. of G Hungary, and the other against the K. of England elector of Hanover. "The French troops took the field at "the end of April, the prince of Conti "march'd towards Piedmont, and the "marthal de Coigni to the Rhine. The "king, having under him the marshal H "de Saxe, refolved to command in per"fon the army in Flanders." Thele three armies, commanded by as many heroes, performed, as M. Rou]Jeau will have it, miracles on all lides; way, and the enemy penetrated no "less than 300 paces into our camp, "where they formed themfelves into a "kind of iquare battalion. The king's "houfhold troops (fays he, a little fur"ther) and the carabineers, attack d "their front. Thefe troops, always re"doutable, perform'd miracles of va"lour, and our other forces, out of "emulation, rufh'd into the midit of "dangers; victory often flifted from 66 one party to the other. Thrice were our troops repulfed, as often did they "rally, and return to the charge with "the fame ardour. The enemy made |