St. James's Coffee-house, August 15.
We have repeated advices of the entire defeat of the Swedish army near Pultowa[57] on the 27th June, O.S., and letters from Berlin give the following account of the remains of the Swedish army since the battle: Prince Menzikoff being ordered to pursue the victory, came up with the Swedish army (which was left to the command of General Lewenhaupt) on the 30th of June, O.S., on the banks of the Boristhenes; whereupon he sent General Lewenhaupt a summons to submit to his present fortune: Lewenhaupt immediately despatched three general officers to that prince, to treat about a capitulation; but the Swedes, though they consisted of 15,000 men, were in so great want of provision and ammunition, that they were obliged to surrender themselves at discretion. His Czarish Majesty despatched an express to General Goltz, with an account of these particulars, and also with instructions to send out detachments of his cavalry to prevent the King of Sweden's joining his army in Poland. That prince made his escape with a small party by swimming over the Boristhenes; and it was thought, he designed to retire into Poland by the way of Volhinia. Advices from Berne of the 11th instant say, that the General Diet of the Helvetic Body held at Baden concluded on the 6th; but the deputies of the six cantons, who are deputed to determine the affair of Tockenburg, continue their application to that business, notwithstanding some new difficulties started by the Abbot of St. Gall. Letters from Geneva of the 9th say, that the Duke of Savoy's cavalry had joined Count Thaun, as had also two Imperial regiments of hussars; and that his royal highness's army was disposed in the following manner: the troops under the command of Count Thaun are extended from Constans to St. Peter de Albigni. Small parties are left in several posts from thence to Little St. Bernard, to preserve the communication with Piedmont by the Valley of Aosta. Some forces are also posted at Taloir, and in the Castle of Doin, on each side of the Lake of Anneci. General Rhebinder is encamped in the Valley of Oulx with 10,000 foot, and some detachments of horse: his troops are extended from Exilles to Mount Genevre, so that he may easily penetrate into Dauphine on the least motion of the enemy; but the Duke of Berwick takes all necessary precautions to prevent such an enterprise. That General's headquarters are at Francin; and he hath disposed his army in several parties, to preserve a communication with the Maurienne and Briançon. He hath no provisions for his army but from Savoy; Provence and Dauphine being unable to supply him with necessaries. He left two regiments of dragoons at Annen, who suffered very much in the late action at Tessons, where they lost 1500 who were killed on the spot, 4 standards, and 300 prisoners, among whom were 40 officers. The last letters from the Duke of Marlborough's camp at Orchies of the 19th instant advise, that Monsieur Ravignan being returned from the French Court with an account, that the King of France refused to ratify the capitulation for the surrender of the citadel of Tournay, the approaches have been carried on with great vigour and success: our miners have discovered several of the enemy's mines, who have sprung divers others, which did little execution; but for the better security of the troops, both assaults are carried on by the cautious way of sapping. On the 18th, the confederate army made a general forage without any loss. Marshal Villars continues in his former camp, and applies himself with great diligence in casting up new lines behind the old on the Scarp. The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene designed to begin a general review of the army on the 20th.
FOOTNOTES:
[54] "Deceased" (folio).
[55] Roger Grant was sworn oculist and operator in ordinary to Queen Anne, September 27, 1710; and on the death of Sir William Read, he was sworn oculist in ordinary to George I. in 1715 (Weekly Packet, No. 159). He died in 1724. A pamphlet, published in 1709, price 2d., called, "A full and true Account of a Miraculous Cure of a Young Man in Newington, that was born Blind, and was in Five Minutes brought to perfect Sight. By Mr. Roger Grant, Oculist," was in reality intended to expose Grant as an impostor. William Jones, son of Annabella Jones, of Newington, Surrey, was, in the twentieth year of his age, couched by Grant, on June 19, 1709. On Sunday, July 24, he went, we are told, to the parish church of St. Mary, Newington, and requested the minister to offer up thanks for his recovery; and next day he and his mother went to the minister to ask him to certify a statement to the effect that Jones was born blind and now had his sight very well. The minister objected to doing this, although Jones and his mother urged that Grant would charge for the cure if they did not get the certificate. The pamphlet states that at last they got the minister's signature forged, and then Grant published the certificate in the Daily Courant for July 30, 1709. On August 16 another paper came out, stating that the minister was present at the operation. The minister told all who made inquiries the truth; that the boy was not born blind, but only with an imperfection in his sight; and that now he saw very little with the left eye, and not at all with the right. On August 8, Grant got the mother to make an affidavit respecting her son's blindness and cure before a magistrate. This affidavit is printed in the "British Apollo," vol. ii. No. 91 (January 20 to 23, 1710). The following advertisement is taken from the same periodical, vol. ii. No. 39 (August 5 to 10, 1709): "As it would be no less disrespectful and injurious to the public, to conceal the merits of Mr. Grant, oculist; therefore, we, the Minister, Churchwardens, and Overseers of the poor of the parish of St. Mary, Newington Butts, do certify, that William Jones, of the same parish, aged twenty years, who was born blind, on his application to Mr. Grant aforesaid, who dwells in St. Christopher's Court, behind the Royal Exchange, was by him couched on Wednesday, June 29, 1709, and by the blessing of God, on the skilful hand of Mr. Grant, the said Jones, in five minutes' time, was brought to see, and at this time hath his sight very well. This case being so particularly remarkable, and gratisly performed, we do, therefore, give this public testimony under our hands, this 25th of July, 1709.—Minister, William Taswell; Churchwardens, James Comber, William Dale; Overseers, Francis Trosse, William Benskin, Walker Wood, John Ship." The Jones case is included in a list of Grant's cures, "Account of some Cures," &c., printed on a folio sheet which is supposed to have been issued in 1713 (Brit. Mus. 1830, c. (18)). The pamphleteer from whom I have quoted, adds that Grant was bred up a cobbler, or, as some say, a tinker; and he was an Anabaptist preacher. Nichols says that "Grant seems to have been more ingenious and reputable than most of his brother and sister oculists; but, if we may judge from his very numerous advertisements, he was not less vain, or less indelicate." A correspondent of the Spectator (see No. 472) bore testimony to the benefit he had himself derived from Grant, and said that many blind persons had been cured.
[56] Dr. William Taswell (here called Caswell), king's scholar at Westminster, was elected student of Christ Church in 1670. He became M.A. in 1677, B.D. in 1685, and D.D. in 1698.
[57] Charles XII. of Sweden was defeated by the Czar at Pultowa in July 1709, and was wounded by a musket-ball in the heel. After the defeat of his army he crossed the Boristhenes with three hundred men. Two thousand Swedes under General Lewenhaupt surrendered to Prince Menzikoff on the banks of the Boristhenes after the battle. Charles XII. sought refuge among the Turks, and retired to Bender.
[No. 56. [Steele.]
From Tuesday, August 16, to Thursday, August 18, 1709.
Quicquid agunt homines ... nostri farrago libelli.