LETTER I.

I must beg leave to complain of the hardness of the Task you impose upon me, by requi∣ring me to give you an exact Relation of our present Campaign, with the Description of those Cities in Germany which I shall have oc∣casion to visit; but neither the Troublesomness of such a Correspondence, nor the Sence of my own Unfitness to Manage it, shall make me decline an Undertaking by which I may convince you of my extream desire to obtain the honour of your Friendship, and to secure my self in the Possession of it beyond the danger or fear of any future Alteration.

I shall begin, then, with acquainting you, that we were about eight Days ago quarter'd in a City call'd Spire, which is now a heap of Stones: Page  2 The Inhabitants have been threaten'd these three Months, with the execution of that fatal Design of reducing the City to Ashes, and during that time liv'd in a cruel Uncertainty, and perpetual Fear of their impending Ruine. Spire was situa∣ted in the Palatinate of the Rhine, call'd of old Ni∣metum, and its Inhabitants Nimetes; it was the Seat of the Imperial Chamber, compos'd of two Presidents, one a Catholick, and the other a Prote∣stant; and fifteen Counsellors, eight of the Ro∣mish, and seven of the other Persuasion. The E∣lector of Triers held the Bishoprick of that City, the Sovereignty of which is extended over seve∣ral fine Territories; and among the rest, Philipsburg, which the Emperor was oblig'd to restore to that Prelate, by the Treaty concluded with France at Triers, in 1685. The Cathedral was a large and fine Structure, well furnish'd with Lights, and a∣dorn'd with great Pyramidal Towers at the four Corners. On the Right-side of the Church stood the Episcopal Palace, famous for its Architecture, and enrich'd on the Inside with a great variety of fine Pictures; and on the other side was the House of the Canons, with a very ancient Cloyster, in the middle of which there was a Mount of O∣lives cut in the Rock, esteem'd to be a Ma∣ster-piece of Sculpture. Before the Church there was a great Court or void Space, capable of con∣taining 10000 Men drawn up in Battalia. All the Houses that surrounded it were well built, especially that of the Jesuits, which fronted the Bishop's Palace, where those Fathers had a very curious Library of above 6000 Volumes, which was consum'd in the general Conflagration of the City; with five or six others belonging to private Persons that were no less considerable. The Inhabitants of Spire were Rich, and lovers of Pleasure: The City was surrounded with a great Page  3 number of Gardens abundantly furnish'd with eve∣ry thing that might contribute to the Advantage and Pleasure of the Owners; for besides the Beau∣ty of the Orange-Trees which were preserv'd there notwithstanding the Coldness of the Climate; and the various Ornaments of cover'd and open'd Walks, Flowers, Water-Works, and Statues; there was a great abundance of all sorts of Fruit-Trees. Every Garden had also the convenience of a Plea∣sure-House, very handsomly built, and all over Painted and Gilt after the German Fashion, in which the Gentlemen of Spire pass'd the time with a great deal of Satisfaction, some in Drinking, and others in more charming Diversions. The Town-House was famous for its Antiquity, which was said to amount to above twelve Ages since its first Foun∣dation, but had nothing else to recommend it to the Observation of Travellers. Before the Gate there hung on an Iron-Ring, a Bone of an Arm, which equall'd a Thigh-Bone in bigness, and was proportionably long. 'Tis affirm'd in the Records of the City, that the Man to whom that Bone belong'd, whose Name was Olps, was twen∣ty five Foot high, and that he was kill'd about 1300 Years agoe in a Siege against the Town, the Ladder breaking under him as he was scaling the Walls; which gave a fair Opportunity to the Besieg'd to rid themselves of so formidable an E∣nemy, by pouring whole Hogsheads of boiling Pitch upon him. His Hip-Bone was also preser∣ved in the great Hall, which I have often seen, without giving much credit to the Story; for tis hard to conceive, that a Man of such a Gi∣gantine Stature cou'd have escap'd the Obsrvati∣on of Historians.

To return to Spire; The City was taken by the Dauphin about the end of the last Year, (when he made himself Master of Philipsburg) Page  4 and was immediately put under Contribution; and besides, 6000 Men were quarter'd in it during the Winter, which made the Inhabitants believe they had already suffer'd the severest Effects of their Enemies Fury. But they were extremely surpriz'd, when in the last Spring they were com∣manded to raise 60000 Crowns, under pain of Burning. This rigorous Order cou'd not be exe∣cuted without reducing 'em to Beggary; for Money was already very scarce in the City, and yet those Wretches put themselves to the ut∣most stretch to raise the Summ; which they had no sooner paid, but the Baron de Monclair caus'd a Proclamation to be publish'd with Sound of Trumpet, commanding all the Inhabitants to re∣tire with their Goods, because the Town was to be burnt on the 5th. Day after the publishing of the Order. And to add to the Cruelty of their Punishment, they were not suffer'd to pass the Rhine, where they might have found some Assi∣stance among their Friends and Relations, but were forc'd to retire to Alsace, among the French, who treated them like so many Beasts, without the least Mark of Humanity or Compassion. Af∣ter all these Severities, they might have found some Consolation even in the extremity of their Affliction, if they had been furnish'd with Wag∣gons for the Transportation of their Goods; but they were not to expect the least Favour, and were oblig'd to hire Waggons of the Peasants and Sut∣lers, who, taking Advantage of their Necessity, made 'em pay such excessive Rates, that they were forc'd to leave the greatest part of their Goods for want of Carriage. In that time of Extremity I heard some of those miserable Creatures offer fifteen Crowns a-day for the use of a Horse, that might have been bought for a smaller Summ. Never any Man beheld so touching an Page  5 Object as was occasion'd by the Grief and Con∣sternation that cover'd every Face in this unfortu∣nate City, at the publishing of the Burning-Or∣der. Our Eyes and Ears were every where salu∣ted with Tears and Lamentations; the Women especially mov'd the hardest Hearts with Com∣passion, their Despair making 'em tear their Hair, and strike their Heads against the Wall.

At last the fatal Term being expir'd, they were forc'd to bid a lasting Farewel to the City, and with it to almost all their Goods and Possessions. Then their Lamentations began afresh, and their Despair appear'd more visibly than e∣ver; nor was it possible for any Heart that was not entirely divested of all sence of Humanity, to resist the Motions of Compassion that were excited at the sight of so deplorable an Object. Noblemen, Tradesmen, the Poor and the Rich, began their doleful March, without any Mark of Distinction, all equally Miserable; with this only difference, that the Rich were more sensi∣ble of their Misfortunes than those whose Po∣verty secur'd 'em from the danger of considera∣ble Losses. I'm still fill'd with Horrour as often as I reflect on that dismal Spectacle; and I'm confident you wou'd not be less deeply touch'd with a sence of the irrecoverable Ruine of so many innocent Persons, if you had been an Eye-Witness of it. You cou'd not have beheld, with∣out feeling almost the same Transports of Sor∣row, two or three hundred Noble-women and Citizens Wives walking on foot in the midst of an Infinite Crowd of People, and most of 'em fol∣low'd by five or six small Children, some of 'em hanging at the Mother's Breast, not knowing where to shelter themselves during the Night, nor where to find necessary Refreshment and Sustenance for their weary'd Bodies; for the ex∣cessive Page  6 Contributions that were exacted from 'em, had so drain'd their Purses, that three quarters of 'em were not Masters of one Peny; and those who had the happiness to preserve the Remain∣ders of their Money, had hid it under-ground, for fear of being robb'd by the Soldiers on the Road, as several of 'em were who had not us'd that Precaution.

After their Departure, the Town was abandon'd for two Days to the Mercy of the Soldiers, who committed a Thousand Sacrileges; for hoping to find some hidden Treasures, they threw down the Altars, dig'd up dead Bodies, and rif••d the most Ancient and Venerable Tombs, without sparing those of an Emperour, and several great Princes and Prelates that were in the Cathedral, which they turn'd to a Stable.

After all these Violences, the appointed Day for the final destruction of the City being come, the Troops were encampt, and 200 Men, each with a lighted Torch in his Hand, were Com∣manded to set fire to the Houses; so that in less than half a Day the Town was entirely consum'd, and the last Day of May 1689, was the last of that Ancient City. And lest the Fire shou•d be too merciful, the King order'd it to be after∣wards demolish'd, and 1000 Soldiers are actually employ'd in levelling it with the Ground. They will find some difficulty in executing their Fu∣ry on the great Church, by reason of the unu∣sual thickness of the Walls, which are all built of •ewn Stone; yet the strength of that noble Edifice cannot prevent its Ruine; for lest the Germans shou'd afterwards lodge themselves in it, 'tis resolv'd to blow it up with a Mine. The House of the Jesuits resisted all the Endeavours of the Demolishers for two or three Days; but they were well paid for their Labour with two Treasures Page  [unnumbered]

Page  [unnumbered] Page  7 which they found, one of 8000 Livres of coin'd Silver, hidden under-ground; and the other, which probably belong'd to some Citizens, who had in∣trusted it to those Reverend Fathers, consisting of Plate to the Value of 9 or 10000 Francks, in Iron Coffers, lying under a heap of Books. You wou'd hardly give Credit to my Relation, if I shou'd undertake to give you a particular Account of the prodigious quantity of Wine that was wasted on this Occasion; for there was a sufficient Store of that Liquor in Spire to furnish such a City as Paris above a Month: And besides, it was of the most excellent sorts, all near eight Years old at least; and even some of the richest Citizens usually kept it twelve Years, preserving it in large Casks, many of which contain'd 100 Hogsheads. I'm persuaded that no other City in the World cou'd boast of so fine and so numerous Cellars, as Spire; they were deep, large, and well vault∣ed with great Pillars that sustain'd the whole weight of the Houses and Streets; so that they seem'd to be Subterraneous Temples, consecrated to the God Bacchus. The Citizen with whom I lodg'd had a very stately one, which contain'd 100 Casks, such as those I have already describ'd, full of the most excellent sorts of Wine. I never visited this well-stor'd Cellar, but I thought on our dear N—, and wish'd his Company, plea∣sing my self with the Thought, how nobly I cou'd have regal'd him, especially with one Cask of Wine fifteen Years old, that was highly pri∣zed by all my Friends, tho', for my part, I must confess, that Champagne is infinitely more agree∣able to me; and I willingly leave all those Gross-body'd Wines to the Germans, whose Heads are strong enough to bear 'em. My Landlord, M. Creps, was a very rich Man, he had very fine Houses at Worms, •ranckendal, and Spire, besides a small Page  8 Office in the Imperial Chamber, which in all yielded him above 15000 Livres a Year, yet by a deplorable Turn of Fortune, he lost his whole Estate in less than three Months, and is fall'n so extremely poor, that he is forc'd at present to sell Brandy in our Army, and resolves to con∣tinue that Trade during the rest of the Cam∣pagne.

While we are busi'd in demolishing Spire, the Queen's Regiment, and some others, are employ'd in the same Exercise at Manheim, a small City built by Charles Lewis, Elector Palatine, who had the conveniency of contriving the Fortifications as he pleas'd. All the Houses were exactly uni∣form, and the four Gates might be seen at once from the Place of Arms in the midst of the Town. This was so important and advantage∣ous a Post, that Monsieur Vauban said one Day to the King, That whatever Prince was Master of Manheim and Philipsburg, might at once main∣tain a War against his Majesty and the Empe∣rour. The Baroness of Aiguenfeld, the second Wife, or (if you will) the Mistress of that Ele∣ctor, was buri•d in this City: And our Soldiers not only broke open her Tomb, but threw her Bones without the Walls. The Dutchess of Or∣leans pretends to have receiv'd several ill Offices from that Lady; but I'm the less inclinable to think that she was accessory to such an inhuman Action, when I consider her Kindness to the Rho∣graves, that Barone•s's Children. Worms, Franken∣dal, Ladenburg, Openheim, and Keidiscum, are under the same Sentence that has been executed on Manheim and Spire: But since I never was in any of those Places, I cannot gratifie your Curiosity with an exact Description of 'em, only I can inform you that they were considerable Towns, and that they are either already demolish'd, or Page  9 will be quickly reduc'd to such a Condition, that all that can be henceforth said of 'em is, Here stood Worms, Spire, Manheim, &c.

These, Sir, are all the remarkable Transactions with which I can at present acquaint you;