THE MEMOIRS O F CHARLES-LEWIS, Baron de PoLLNITZ. BEING The OBSERVATIONS He made in his Discovering not only the PRESENT STATE BUT The CHARACTERS of the PRINCIPAL PERSONS VOL. IV. LONDON: Printed for DANIEL BROWN E, at the Black Swan, M. DCC. XXXVIII. T VOL. IV. To Madame DE *** HE Conduct of the Court of Spain, tho' it really made the Court of Vienna uneafy, did not hinder the Emperor from carrying on the War against the Turks with Vigour: And Heaven fo profper'd the Imperial Arms, that in 1718 Prince Eugene gain'd the moft fignal Victory near Belgrade that the Chriftians could have hop'd for. Soon after that Battle the victorious Troops reduc'd Belgrade, and at length the Turks were forc'd to fue for a Peace: While every Thing feem'd to have a Tendency that way, Spain put to Sea the most formidable Fleet fhe had ever equipp'd fince that unfortunate one call'd, The Invincible Armada; B and and fent it to the Coaft of Sicily, where it put a numerous Army on Shore, under Command of the Marquis de Lede. The Count de Maffei Viceroy of the Kingdom for the Duke of Savoy, who was King of Sicily, made all the Refiftance poffible, confidering the Weakness of his Army; and tho' not able to fave the Ifland, yet he made fuch a Defence as hinder'd the Spanish Army from pufhing its Conquefts farther by giving Time to Admiral Bing, who commanded the English Fleet, to enter the Mediterranean, and execute the Orders he had to attack the Spanish Fleet. These Orders imported, that he was to act in a friendly manner, in cafe that Spain defifted from its Enterprizes againft the Neutrality of Italy; but otherwise to make a vigorous Refiftance. Admiral Bing communicated thefe Orders to Cardinal Alberoni, who anfwer'd him gravely, That he had nothing to do but to put them in Execution. The Admiral did fo with a Vengeance; for on the 11th of Auguft he gave Battle to the Spanish Fleet, and intirely defeated it. As foon as the Duke Regent was inform'd of the News, he fent away a Courier to the French Ambaffador at Madrid, with Letters from the Earl of Stairs to the English Ambaffador Earl Stanhope. The Defign of his Royal Highness was to engage the latter to return to Madrid, from whence he fet out on the 27th of August, that he might make fresh Inftances there for a Peace with Cardinal Alberoni, who to be fure was a little stunn'd at this Reverse of Fortune. But the Earl, whether he did not meet the Courier, or whether he did not think it proper to return to Spain, arriv'd at Paris on the 9th of September. Mean Mean Time the War betwixt the Emperor and the Turks was at an End, and Orders were actually given for fending the Imperial Troops into Italy. The Regent defpairing at that Time of perfuading the King of Spain to a Peace, order'd the Abbat du Bois, the French Ambaffador at London, to fign the Treaty commonly call'd The Quadruple Alliance, in Conjunction with the Ambaffadors of England and the Emperor. He alfo repeated his Orders to the Duke of St. Aignan, to try all the means imaginable to prevail on the King of Spain to accede to the Terms that were propos'd to him by the Quadruple Alliance; but his Catholic Majefty perfifted fo long in his Refufal, that his Royal Highness refolv'd to declare War against him, and the Duke of St. Aignan had Orders to demand his Audience of Leave. At that Time the Regent happily discover'd a Confpiracy that was form'd against him in the very Heart of the Kingdom. The King of England had before appriz'd him, that there was fome Contrivance on Foot; but the Names of the Confpirators, and what they were to do, was a Secret. Mean time the Regent fufpecting that all these Intrigues were only fomented by the Minister of Spoin, he caus'd the Prince de la Cellamare, Ambaffador from that Crown, to be fo narrowly watch'd that he was foon let into the Secret of the whole Intrigue carrying on against him, which was in fhort no lefs than to remove him from the Regency. The Spanish Minifter for the better Succefs had caus'd a Body of Troops to be affembled in France, where they ftroll'd about like Fellows that dealt in unlicens'd Salt, and other Contraband Goods; but upon a particular Day they were to enter Paris, inveft the Royal B 2 |