Highness, with the General Officers, and about A. C. 3000 Horfe advanc'd towards the Enemies Forrage, 1691. but upon his approach the French retired, and Monfieur Catinat did not think fit to fuftain his Forragers, which might have occafion'd a general Engament. It happen'd the fame Day, that the Duke of Schomberg having fpoke High-Dutch to a German Officer in his Royal Highnefs's Prefence, the latter faid, He had once try'd to learn that Language, but was difcourag'd by the difficulty be found in it; whereupon Duke Schomberg offering to teach his Royal Highnefs: No, my Lord, replied he, 'tis the Trade of War I defign to learn of you. In the mean while, although the Garrison and Inhabitants of Coni defended themfelves with great Refolution, yet 'twas not poflible for them to hold out much longer. 'Twas therefore high time to think of Relieving a Place, the lofs of which muft be attended with the total Ruin of his Highness's Affairs; and how to do it with moft Safety, and appearance of Succefs was varioufly debated in a Council of War, wherein the Duke of Schomberg did not content himself to fpeak his Advice, but gave it afterwards in Writing to his Highnefs. His Opinion was, That Monfieur La Hoguette appear'd in the Valley of Aofta, with no other defign than to keep the Confederates in fufpence, and thereby favour the Siege of Coni: That as foon as our Forces fhould begin to move, he would return into the Tarentaife; That his Highnefs ought to run where the Danger was most preiling; left by Endeavouring to remedy all, he fhould remedy nothing. That after all, His Highness could not do better, than to fight Catinat, whofe Army was inferiour, at least, in Number, to that of the Allies; Feuquieres having carried away Ten or Twelve Thoufand Men with him before Coni. That at the worst, the Confederates could but be beaten, which was ftill to be preferr'd before the lofs of Coni, and the Reinforcement of Cazal; and that the French, if they had the beft of it,would yet pay dear for their Victory; and their Army being confiderably weaken'd by Sicknefs, Desertion, and his loffes before Veillane, Carmagnole Tt 4 N. S. A. C. magnole and Coni, they would hot think of any other 1691. Enterprize this Summer. His Royal Highnefs, and Prince Eugene gave ear to the Duke of Schomberg's Opinion.but the Marquifs de Leganez(lately made Governor of Milan) and Don Gafpar Henriquez de Zara, oppos'd it with frivolous Reafons,not daring to speak the true one; which was, that the War was maintain'd at the Duke of Savoy's Coft; and that as long as the French were kept out of the Milaneze, 'twas Policy in the Spaniards not to hazard a decifive Action. However, the relieving of Coni, being of fo great Importance, it was refolv'd, that a Hundred Mules loaden with Provision and Ammunition fhould be fent thither, under the Convoy of 2200 Horfe, commanded by Prince Eugene. AccordingJune 26.ly his Highnefs fet out in the Night from the Camp, and leaving the French Army on the Right, march'd to the Left along the Hills that terminate the Plain, that he might reach Coni with lefs Danger. The next Day, being the 27th of July, the French made an Affault upon the Place, wherein they were Repuls'd with great lofs; and towards the Evening Prince Eugene reach'd Magliano, a Place within Seven Miles of Coni, where he was Reinforc'd by Five or Six Thoufand Men of the Militia of Mondovi. This Monfieur de Catinat had no fooner notice of, but he fent an Exprefs to Monfieur de Bullonde, who commanded at the Siege, not to ftir out of his Lines; and to acquaint him farther, that 2500 Men were on their march to reinforce him, under the Command of Monfieur Sylveftre, Marefchal de Camp. However the mistake happen'd, Bullonde thought it convenient to raise the Siege, and that with fo much Hafte and Confufion, that he left behind him two or three Pieces of Cannon, three Mortars, good store of Bombs, Powder,Warlike Utenfils, Tents, and Provifions, befides many of his Sick and Wounded Men, amongst whom were five Ingeniers; but for his Reward he was no fooner arriv'd at the Camp, but Catinat had Orders to put him under Arreft. The French loft 2500 Men before the Place, the Prefervation of which was principally owing to the Bravery of the French Proteftant s The Siege of Coni rais'd, June 28. N. S. testants in Garrifon there, and more particularly to A. C. the Courage, Vigilance and Conduct of Colonel 1691. Julien, whofe Services the Duke of Savoy acknow ledg'd, with the Prefent of a Diamond Ring of confiderable Value. Immediately after the railing of the Siege of Coni, the French Troops, under Monfieur de la Hoguette, according to Duke Schomberg's Prediction, quitted the Valley of Aofta; and Monfieur Catinat, who was incamped near Carignan, retired with his Army towards Villa nova-d'Afti, after having fent the Marquifs de Feuquieres with Two Thousand Foot and a Thousand Horfe to change the Garrifon of Cazal. Had the Germans been come up, or the Spaniards been willing to fight, the Duke of Schomberg would have prevented the Reinforcement of that Garrison, which was already reduc'd to 1500 Men. Some days after t the Duke of Schomberg apply'dt July 9. himself to the Affairs relating to the Forces in Eng-N. S. lifh and Dutch Pay. Monfieur Wandermeer, appointed by His Britannick Majefty to be their Commiflary and Paymafter, and the feveral Colonels, prefented their Accompts to his Grace, which he examin'd with great nicety; and afterwards made a particular Enquiry into the Behaviour of the inferior Officers. Upon the whole matter, he found in thefe Regiments not only a great Remifnefs in the Martial Difcipline, but likewife other Irregu larities; which being partly occafion'd by ill Pay, his Grace gave effectual Orders to have that point remedied; and becaufe a Captain of Loches's Regiment had killed a Suttler in a Riot, and that another Captain led an infamous Life, he caused them to be cashier'd. At the fame time he order'd all the Officers in Turin to repair forthwith to their refpective Commands, and declar'd to them, that he expected, that his Majefty's Service should be perform'd with the utmost ftrictness of Difcipline. 'Twas no Wonder thefe Troops were fo diforderly, there being no Body to infpect them, befides Wandermeer, a Man generally hated and defpifed; and they would certainly have disbanded themselves A. C. this Campaign, had it not been for the Duke of 1691. Schomberg's Arrival. lexander VIII.dies. Feb. 1. The inglorious Retreat of the French from before Coni, gain'd no fmall Reputation to the Duke of Savoy's Arms thoughout all Italy, and had a particular influence on the Refolutions of the Conclave, at that time fitting at Rome for the Election of a • Pope A. new Pope, in the room of Alexander VIII. who died Five Months and a Half before. The Affairs of Piedmont had kept that Affembly in fufpence all that time: The Italians fearing to difoblige the Court of France, by filling the Papal Chair with a Perfon in the Intereft of Spain: But the Duke of Savoy's late Succefs, and the Approach of the German Succours, rais'd the Courage of the Italian Cardinals; who notwithstanding the Oppofition of the Cardinal d'Eftrees, a Frenchman, and his Faction, concerted Measures with the Spaniards and Imperialists, in order to get Cardinal Pignatelli, a Neapolitan, elected Pope. The Cardinals Cantelmi and Giudice manag'd the Design with that Addrefs, that when the French fpoke of it to Giudici, he feem'd very cool in the Matter, as if he thought it could not fucceed, for that Pignatelli would be very unacceptable to the Spaniards, on account of the Differences that formerly happen'd between him and the Viceroy of Naples. This Stratagem had the defir'd Effect, and made the French more Zealous for him. The Spaniards and Imperialists feeing the French engaged, concurr'd with all their Voices, fo that at the Scrutiny on the 12th of July, of Sixty one Voices that compofed the Conclave, Fifty Cardinal Three were given for Cardinal Pignatelli, who was Pignatelli holi Pope accordingly chofen Pope, being then Seventy Six Years and Four Months Old. He poffeffed great July 12. And nam'd Dignities in the Kingdom of Naples, and was creaInnocent ted Cardinal in the Year 1681. by Innocent XI. In whofe Memory he took the Name of Innocent XII. and of whofe Inclination and Interest he has been a long obferver. XII. By this time the German Succours, to the Number of 18000 Horfe and Foot, having join'd the Duke of Savoy, N. S. Savoy, and the Elector of Bavaria being arrived to A. C. command them, the French who not long before 1691. threatned no less than to befiege Turin it felf, were n oblig'd to repafs the Po, and to fend feveral Ex-The Duke prefles to Court to follicite a Reinforcement. The of Bavaria Confederates on the other hand, having vainly en- arrives at deavour'd to engage Catinat to a Battle, bent their Turin, Thoughts upon re-taking fome of the other Places Aug. 19. they had lot in the beginning of the Campaign. Accordingly Prince Eugene of Savoy invefted Car- Carmag magnole on the 27th of September, and carried on nole reta the Siege with fo much vigour, that in Eleven Days ken, O&. the Garrifon was forced to capitulate. And be. 9. N. S. caufe after the firft taking of this Place the French did not punctually obferve the Articles, in Relation to the Vaudois, the latter took this Opportunity to be reveng'd, and having way-laid them, took away their Arms, and part of their Baggage. This being obferv'd by the Germans, they came in for a fhare of the Booty, fo that the poor French were ftript of all. Monfieur Catinat made great Complaints of this Violation of Martial Laws, but the Confederates anfwer'd, That they were forry fuch things fhould happen, but that he himself had fet them the firft Example; however, that for the future they would prevent any fuch Diforders, provided he would do the Same. In the mean time the Marquifs d'Hocquincourt, with a Body of French Troops, having laid Siege to Montmelian, made himself Mafter of the Town without much refiftance; but the Caftle ftill holding out, it was refolved by the Confederates to fend into Savoy 11000 Spaniards, 2000 of the Refugees, and 2000 of the Duke of Savoy's Troops, to the Releif of that Fortrefs. Thefe Detachments were already marching, by the Valley of Aosta, when they received Counter-Orders forthwith to join the main Army, the Confederates having formed a Defign to attack Catinat in his Retrenchments; but that Enterprize not fucceeding, the Allies bent their Arms against Carmagnole, which Monfieur Catinat was fo far from attempting to relieve, that having quitted Foffano, Savillana and Salues, he retreated |