AN EXACT ACCOUNT OF THE Siege of Namur: WITH A PERFECT DIARY OF THE Campagne in Flanders, FROM The King's departure from Kensington, May the 12th. to his Return to London, Octob. 11th. 1695.

By a Gentleman attending his Majesty during the whole Campagne.

LONDON: Printed for Tim. Goodwin at the Queen's-Head against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet. 1695.

THE PREFACE.

THE Ʋse of HISTORY in general, is too well known to need a Demonstration; and all the Difficul­ty that arises in our esteem of Particular Histories, consists only in their Validity; to which nothing con­tributes more than the Ability and Circumstances of the Au­thor, these furnish him with Opportunity of knowing, that with Capacity of Conveying the Transactions he makes choice of, to Posterity. For the first, none can be more fit than an Eye­witness; for the second, than a man of just observation; who omits nothing Material, nor rakes together supervacaneous and trifling Occurrences; how far the following Sheets will agree with this, your perusal will inform you. But this I shall ven­ture to say without partiality, the Writar has been always with his Majesty from his leaving England, to his happy and trium­phant RETURN: and that may ensure the Truth of what he tells us.

But the Validity of a History is not the only Motive of read­ing, the Importance of the Action comes in for a large share with a sensible Reader. For a Romance that presents us with the true Model of a Brave Commander, is for delight at least preferrable to a dry Truth that contains nothing of Pleasure, and little of Profit. But I am of opinion, that there never has been a War of greater Consequence than the Present be­twixt the Confedrates and the French King, either as to the Parties engaged, or the Cause for which they fight; that is, the most powerful Monarchs of this part of the World, for the LIBERTY or SLAVERY of Europe.

[Page] France has for near Two hundred years been growing, and fixing the Foundations of that Greatness they now possess; and it is no wonder that after such Master-Builders as Henry the Great, Richlieu, and Mazarine, it proves so hard a Task to batter it down. 'Tis more wonderful to me that the Neigh­bouring Nations could with so much Ʋnconcern look on it, till 'twas almost too well fortified for all their Endeavours to de­molish. And I may venture without Flattery to say, That nothing but the Providential Accession of his Glorious Maje­sty WILLIAM THE THIRD to the Crown of Eng­land, and Head of the most Royal Confederacy that ever was, we must soon have felt Our selves under the most absolute and lasting Tyranny that ever Europe was subject to; for the si­tuation and other advantages of France renders it more fit for the Monarchy it aim'd at, than the Dominions of the House of Austria formerly,

But Our Sacred King (deriv'd from a Race us'd to give Liberty to Europe, and oblige Mankind the Noblest and most Sensible Way) put a Stop to the Fatal Fabrick and by taking Namur has so far underminded it, that we may hope soon a Breach large enough for a successful Assault: It has shew'd us that the French can be forc'd from their Fastnesses in the Eye of a Numerous Veteran, and well Disciplin'd Army.

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