The Regent having engag’d the Prince of Conti to take upon him the Command of the Cavalry, order’d him 100,000 Crowns for his Equipage, and granted him 60,000 Livres a Month to keep an open Table; besides which, his Horses were to be kept at the King’s Expence. When his Royal Highness had appointed these Two Generals, he was not very much at a Loss for subaltern Officers: To encourage them to serve with the more Zeal, there was a great Promotion, consisting of 6 Lieutenant-Generals, 72 Major-Generals, and 196 Brigadiers. The Regent also gave Pensions to above Threescore Officers, who repair’d to the Marshal de Berwic in Navarre, where the Campaign was open’d by the Siege of Fontarabia. At the same Time the Regent caus’d a Manifesto to be publish’d, which was couch’d in Terms full of Regard to the King of Spain, Cardinal Alberoni
being reproach’d for every Thing that was blameworthy in that Prince’s Conduct; and accus’d of being the Author of the War between the Two Crowns, and of having hinder’d the King his Master from accepting the Treaty of the Quadruple Alliance, a Treaty which had not been concluded, said the Regent, but for the Welfare of Europe, and particularly of France and Spain. His Royal Highness protested, that the War was only made to induce the King of Spain to a Peace; and affirm’d, That France did not mean to make any Conquest upon his Dominions; and that if she was compell’d to do it, she should be always ready to restore such Conquests at the Peace.
Cardinal Alberoni dispers’d several Pieces in the Name of his Master, by which he invited the French Soldiers to take the Part of his Catholic Majesty; and to succeed the better in this Design, he engag’d the King of Spain to head his Army, hoping, that upon his very first Appearance, one Half of the Army of France would desert to his Standard. The Cardinal being full of Notions so chimerical and so injurious to Officers and Troops, as incapable of Cowardice as of Treachery; he oblig’d the Chevalier de S—— who had been a Colonel in France, but by Misfortunes was forc’d to go to Spain, to write to some of the chief Commanders, and solicit them to come over with their Regiments to the Spanish Service. The Chevalier, who built Hopes of a considerable Fortune upon the Success of this Project, wrote to the Lieutenant-Colonel of Normandy, and sent the Letter to him by an Officer, who was indeed a Gentleman, but at that Time committed an Action unworthy of that Character. This Officer came to the French Army, and gave the Letter to the Person it was
directed to, who carrying it to the Marshal de Berwic, he caus’d the unfortunate Courier to be arrested, and hang’d up in Two Hours after. The Cardinal was very much mortify’d by having miscarry’d in this Attempt, not considering that the same was impracticable, by reason the Fidelity of the French Officers was never to be corrupted; but it was not so at that Time with the Soldiers, of whom a great Number deserted to the Spanish Army. Persons of Credit, who at that Time saw Cardinal Alberoni in private, assur’d me, that Minister was so fully persuaded that whole Regiments at a Time would come over to the Spanish Service; that when he was told 50 or 100 Deserters, more or less, were newly come; What signifies that, said he? His Majesty wants to see Colours and Standards arrive, and not a Handful of Men. The Cardinal had a great many Fortune-hunters about him, who were continually telling him, that intire Battalions were just coming over; and by the Favour of such Predictions, which never came to any Thing, they got out of him what they wanted, for no other Consideration but a sorry improbable Scheme, and which tended even sometimes to deceive the Minister and betray him. One may guess at the Character of those Gentlemen by one F——, who had been a Reformado-Colonel in France, but being press’d hard by merciless Creditors, could find no other Means to escape from their ill Humour, than by taking Shelter under Cardinal Alberoni. This F—— was a terrible Rattle, and could rodomontade better than any body. The Minister made him a Brigadier, and withal gave him a Gratuity of 100 Pistoles; but our Spark not thinking this sufficient, wanted forsooth to be a Major-General, and teiz’d the
Cardinal for it to such a Degree, that to get rid of such an importunate Solicitor, his Eminency was oblig’d to promise him, that it should not be long before he should be prefer’d. My Gentleman had no Time to wait, and renew’d his Solicitations; but being put off, he was quite out of Patience, and at last declar’d, that he would serve no longer if he was not made a Major-General. His Eminence grew angry, so that F—— thought it was proper to submit, or at least to assume a submissive Air. Mean while he study’d Revenge, and imagin’d the only way to make his Fortune in France would be, to seize the Cardinal, and run away with him to the Regent. The Thing that remain’d to be consider’d was, what Methods he should take to succeed; and ’tis even said, that he had laid his Plot so well, that had it not been for the Treachery of one of the Conspirators who discover’d the whole Mystery, the same would have succeeded. The Cardinal caus’d F—— to be arrested, and sent Prisoner to Pampeluna, and from thence to the Castle of Segovia, where he was try’d, and would infallibly have been beheaded, but Cardinal Alberoni happen’d to be disgrac’d at the same Time, as I shall have the Honour to tell you anon.
While these Trifles pass’d in the Spanish Army, the French went on furiously to Action. Fontarabia was closely besieg’d, upon which the King and Queen made as if they would relieve it; but while they were consulting about it, the Marshal de Berwic oblig’d it to capitulate. This Conquest, tho’ to the Advantage of France, did not abate one Jot of that Aversion which the French had to the War. The People contributed to it not without Reluctance; nevertheless it was
the Regent’s Interest to continue it; and as he perceiv’d they were already so over-burden’d with Taxes, that ’twas in vain to think of creating new ones, he contriv’d new Methods to fill the Treasury. He obtain’d an Arret of Council for making a considerable Number of Bank Bills, those which had been made before having been soon snatch’d up. Then the Council pass’d another Arret, for diminishing the Value of the Species. The Bustle this Arret occasion’d at Paris is not to be imagin’d; every body was glad to part with their Cash, upon which they apprehended there would be a Loss, and they hurry’d to receive Paper in Exchange, upon the Promise which the Council had made, that the Value of the Bills should be fix’d, so as never to rise nor fall. Nevertheless, it was not long before the People seriously reflected upon the Invalidity of the Matter, into which their Gold and Silver was transform’d, and the Hurry to the Bank abated. But the Regent soon contriv’d a way to bring in the little Cash that remain’d in private Hands; for he caus’d an Arret of Council to pass, which forbad any one’s having more than 500 Livres about him, upon the Penalty of a great Fine. In Pursuance of this Arret, People began again to change their Species for Bank Bills, which were in Truth more commodious than Cash, because People might then carry the Value of several Millions about them, without sweating under the Load. This was a rare way to thrive, when a Man carry’d his whole Estate thus in his Pocket!
By this Means did the Duke Regent provide for the immense Charges of the War with Spain, which was carry’d on with Vigour; and soon after the taking of Fontarabia, the French Army
laid Siege to St. Sebastian, which held but Twenty-five Days, when both the Town and Castle surrender’d.
As long as the War continued with Success in Spain I never left soliciting at the Royal Palace, but always in vain. I spent most of my Time in the Regent’s Antichamber, and now-and-then went for Recreation to the House of Madame de R——, whom I have not had the Honour of mentioning to you for a good while, but my Passion was now grown cool, so that all those Visits were but a melancholy Relief in the Situation that I then stood in. My Friends made me reflect seriously on the small Hopes I ought to entertain of succeeding at the Court of France. The Abbe de Asfeld perceiving the Anxiety I was under, took the Advantage of it to drive me, as I may term it, from a Place where I lost my Time, and spent the little Money I had to no Purpose; therefore I left Paris once more, and travelled by the Way of Metz, to avoid the troublesome Questions of the King’s Lieutenant at Toul.