REFLECTIONS upon the French Kings Declaration, For the Restauration of the Late King JAMES, to the Kingdom of England  By JOHN TUTCHIM. 
HOW far the Court of France has influenced this of England since the Restauration of Charles II. is too well known, and the Effects thereof too apparent at this time, the whole management of Affairs here being carried on by a French Interest during the late Reigns, had certainly ere this time brought us to pay homage to the Crown of France, had not the Providence of God prevented it by the late glorious Revolution. Without doubt King Lewis is deeply concerned at the present Condition of the English Nation, and the Misfortunes of its Abdicated King, whom he designed to trick out of his Dominions; Therefore, like a resolute Hero, he is resolved to make the best of a bad Market, and since he is defeated in his Intrigues, he is resolved to rally again and improve every opportunity for the advancement of his Interest. In persuance of which he has disembarqued some of his Troops at two several times on Ireland, to assist the late King to maintain a Rebellion against Their present Majesties, and having provided a third Embarquement to make a Descent either upon England or Ireland, he has published an insivating Declaration dated at Versailles the 14th of this Instant May, which he has caused to be printed in the English Tongue, thereby ●o debauch our Army and People at their first Landing, which Declaration is the Subject of these Reflections.  
He begins his Declaration with a Formal Harangue of the good Affection and Intention he bears the English Nation, etc. His love to England we do not question certainly believing, he loves it so well, that he would have made it his own ere this time, if it had lain in his power; and his sincere Intentions we doubt not of, when we remember how sincerely he added Lorraine and other Countries to his Dominions. And when we consider that the restless Endeavor of this Tyrant has ever been the Agrandisement of his own Power, and the Enlargement of his Territories, we cannot but imagine that he will stretch his Empire to the utmost Limits of these fertile Kingdoms, if ever he should have the power, and God, for our sins, should suffer us to be such Cowards as to be overcome by him.  
And he farther Insinuates, That he is not at all desirous to bring or continue on the English Nation the Calamities of War, etc. I suppose he writes this Declaration only for the Jacobites of the Kingdom, I hope he is persuaded that the other Party are men of more sense, than to be misled by so specious a Wheadle; The Inhabitants upon the Rhine, of Savoy, Piedmont, the Vaudois▪ and many others can testify how much he desires the Peace and Tranquillity of Protestants; and his own Subjects can tell us how far we are to believe his Word or Declaration, tho' it were as irrevocable as the Edict of Nantz.  
Next he goes on to declare, That in Case the Subjects of Great Britain will return to their Allegiance, and restore the late King James to his Throne before or at the 24th of June next, That he will cause to cease all hostile Actions; That he will restore all the Merchant's Ships and Effects taken since the Rupture; And pay all the Taxes we have been at in 18 months at three payments.  
In the first place, As to the Restauration of the late King James. This is a bitter Pill indeed, and will hardly be swallowed by the English Nation without great Reluctancy; the late King was very bad before he abdicated the Government, and we suppose he is not much bettered by the Conversation he has had with King Lewis: But his most Christian Majesty would have acted more like a Politician, to have given the People of England a longer time to have restored their Monarch, than the 24th of next Month; for I confidently presume it will not be in the power of Lewis himself, together with the assistance of the dear Joys of Teaga●land in conjunction with his forward Villains in Lancashire, and other Parts, to accomplish this mighty Work so soon. Yet, tho' the Restauration of the late King be the pretence, we very well know that he is out the Tool by which King Lewis works his own Interest. He is out the Head of his Army, and such a Head too as is placed upon the top of a Fiddle, only to make a Show, and nothing at all concerned in the Music. Indeed the French King has lent him an Army of his Men in Ireland, but as a Gratification of so singular a Kindness, he has the whole strength of the Kingdom put into his hands as Cautionary Towns. And the Insolences of the French are already so great, that the miserable Irish Papists themselves would willingly enjoy an opportunity to revolt from their Government. And should we be as foolish as the French King persuades us to be, and restore the abdicated King again, should we not take a Serpent into our Bosoms, that would certainly sting us to death? We are very well acquainted with the Nature of that Man, and the Mercy and Favour he shows a conquered Enemy; a Specimen of which he gave in the West, where he ingloriously murdered, in cold Blood; so many hundreds of the Duke of Monmouth's Men, nor can we expect any better usage upon his Return, without doubt he has now learned an effectual way how to Dragoon us into wooden Shoes, and Bread and Water. But, as I hinted before, the Question is not about the Restauration of the late King, but the establishing of the French King in these Dominions, and who, but one as void of Sense as a Jacobite, can think any otherwise? And if we come under a French Power, what can we expect but the Devastation, Hostility and Bloodshed that those Countries have suffered that have had the misfortune to be added to the French King's Dominions? It is a good old French Rule, Avez le Francois pour ton amy, non pas pour ton voison. The French may make good Friends, but never good Neighbours. So that it is no small Benefit to our Land, that it is surrounded with the Ocean, and fortified with Rocks from the Incursions of so encroaching an Enemy. But before we admit of the French King's Proposals in this Case, we must not only lay aside all regard to present Interest, as well as the future safety of Posterity; but we must also shake off all the Principles of Honour, Justice, Loyalty, and Humanity: For we cannot restore the late King, without deposing King WILLIAM. And how barbarous an Act would this seem, not only to Foreign Nations, but to Posterity also? It is certainly inconsistent with the Native-Bravery of the People of this Kingdom, to depose a Prince that has passed the devouring Billows of the wild Ocean, and ventured his Person and Troops to redeem us from Slavery of Mind and Body. Let not such horrid Ingratitude be imagined to lurkin the Breast of any one that bears the honourable Name of an English man! And yet we see that some are weary of their Redeemer, and, like the discontented Israelites, murmur at their Moses, for the Bread and Water of Arbitrary Power, and Absolute Government, and such too, whom his present Majesty of the abundance of his mercy, has screened from the Justice of the Law, and maintained by his Bounty.  
In the next place he endeavours by fair Promises to persuade us to take the abdicated King again, and tells us, That he will restore us our Ships and Effects, and Reimburse the Charge of the War. Here he promises the English Subjects what he cannot perform without prejudice to his own; For most of the English Ships taken since the Rupture, were seized by the French Privateers, and not one Moiety of the Effects at his dispose. Besides, it is impossible for him to restore the Effects as he found them, most of the Tobacco being shipped off f●r Ireland. And if our Merchant's trust to his Account of the Sale of their Goods, I am afraid their Factor will take so much per Cent. for his Commission, that the poor Merchants will make but a losing Voyage of it; and so powerful a Factor as he, is not to be sued for an Account at any one's pleasure. But I must needs acknowledge his kindness in the promise of reimbursing our Expense in the War, and yet he is partly obliged to it, being the principal Cause thereof, therefore I do not like his Payment at three several times.  
This makes me think, that if we should comply with his Proposals, that he would serve us as our cheating Traders do here, get a Letter of Licence for time to pay their Debts, when their only design is to gain time to get their Effects into their hands, and then take up their Quarters in whitefriars, or the King's Bench; were I to Treat with the French King upon this Head, (knowing him to be a Shuffling Dealer,) I should desire, that Dunkirk, Calais, Breast, Rochfort, Thoulon, and Sherrant, might in the first place be put into our Hands, as Cautionary Towns, and as Security for his performance of Articles, and payment of our Money; for who can Imagine, that the French Tyrant can ever be able to make satisfaction to the English Nation for so many Millions Expense in this War, who was forced the first Summer after the Rupture to melt down his plate to pay his Army, and the Lead of his his Churches to make Bullets.  
But to conclude all, he threatens upon our Noncompliance with his Proposals, to heap the Misery and Calamity of War upon us, the case is much the same, we are sure if we do comply, or no, if ever we come under his Jurisdiction, to suffer all the Calamities of War possible to be felt by a Miserable People, from a Conquering Enemy. Those amongst us, that have either read of, or seen those Countries that have unfortunately been the Seat of the French War, are throughly convinced of what we must expect from a French Army, should it get possession of any part of this Kingdom; how many goodly Towns and Villages have the French Troops laid waste upon the Rhine, where the fruitful Lands lie Untilled, and the Grass grows where the Towns formerly stood; I could give a Thousand Instances of the French Barbarity, where they have had the Fortune to Conquer. A Volume might be filled with their Cruelties in the Low Countries, when our Nation suffered them to make a descent upon the State's General of the United Provinces in the Year 1673, some of which I shall Transcribe in a Letter written from Vtrecht, 11th of January, 1673.  
Worthy Friend,  
I Cannot, out of the abundance of my heart, forbear to send these Lines unto you, containing an Account of the Cruelties and Murders committed by the French in that last Encounter at Boodegrave and Swammerdam, according as I have had it from the mouths of the French, and confirmed by many of them, yea, some of their Officers, who have been in the Turkish War, do testify that they never saw or heard of such Cruelties, as for Instance in two Gentlewomen, who were first stripped naked by the Soldiers, and then by many of them deflowered; which a French Officer seeing rescued them, and threw his Cloak, with what other Covering he could find, over their naked Bodies. This Officer being commanded to his post, was forced to leave these Ladies, whom he recommended to another: But this shameless Villain presently ravished them again, and let them in the like manner be abused by the Soldiers who having satiated their filthy Lust with them, thrust the Rammers of their Guns into their Bodies, and so torn them up, and most miserably murdered them. The Gentleman that declares he saw these things, you know very well, as also him who first saved and covered them, but afterwards, to his great grief, beheld them lying dead on the way.  
The same person relates, that hearing a dreadful screeching in a certain house, he went in, and found there a young Gentlewoman, who was violated by some Soldiers; whereupon he took his pistol, intending to have shot one of those Villains through the head, but it missing fire, he struck it in pieces on one of their heads.  
He said also, that in the same Chamber lay two old people a-bed, being Man and Wife, above 80 years old, the Father and Mother of this young Gentlewoman, who, embracing each the other in their arms, lay shaking and trembling for fear of being murdered.  
These should with House and all, have been burnt, had not he saved them: For in like manner they most lamentably murdered a Woman, together with her four Children, who, for Fear and Distress, flew about her, and crept under her clothes to save themselves.  
Amongst those that fled into the Church, some they most miserably ravished, afterwards hung them up by the hair, and shot them to death.  
Others, they cut off their Breasts, and then burned them.  
Yea, the French themselves declare, that they saw several young Maids run into the Fire themselves, to escape the Tyrannous Cruelty of those Bloodhounds.  
The Gentleman that says he saw these things, lies sick a-bed, merely, as he saith, from alteration at the sight of these dreadful Massacres and Abuses which he was forced to behold acted upon the poor people.  
A certain Officer (who lies here on the New Graft) declares, that in one house were seven persons whom he endeavoured to protect, but being commanded to look after his post, was forced to leave them, and coming again found them all murdered: And 'tis not to be expressed what we▪ out of their own mouths, hear daily of their Cruelty.  
But some of the Officers were more compassionate, who have brought several Children with them hit her, whom they say, they snatched out of the Fire; of which my Lord Peterson hath took one, a Girl of Seven Years Old, to himself, whose parents are also burnt; and 'tis evident 'tis Born of good Reformed parents, for of herself she will Mornings and Evenings fall on her Knees and say all sorts of Prayers, and can also say the Belief and Ten Commandments. A certain Capuchin Monk said to the Duke of Luxemburgh, Will you give▪ that Soul to the Devil, which we have fetched out of the Fire? It ought not to be. Nevertheless my Lord keeps th● Child. They have also brought with them another pretty Lud, about whom has been no small difference amongst them, because some of them out of their Cruelty would still Burn him, or dash him against the Wall; but they have carried him upwards along with them, so can Write no more about him.  
These are but some Samples of their Barbarous Cruelty, for should I relate all those Filthinesses and Murders whereof they boast, I should too far exceed the Limits of a Letter.  
Your Affectionate Friend, N. N.  
This and much more must we expect, if ever a French Army should land upon us: But I hope the Commemoration of our mighty Conquests in France under Edward III. where we slew in the Battle of Cressy TWO great princes, above 1000 Barons and Knights, and above 30 thousand of the Commons of France, not one Man of Honour or Note being slain on our side.  
And many other Conquests I could mention, I hope (I say) the thoughts of this will so animate all that have but the least spark of true English Valour left, that we shall never be mastered by those that were the Slaves of our Forefathers, but shall bravely stand up in the defence of our natural Rights, our Religion and Liberties, against all Opposers. In doing of which, we may expect the blessing of the Almighty, who, with one gentle touch of his Almighty Hand, can disperse all our Enemies were they never so many.   

Advertisements.  
☜ The Privileges of the Citizens of London, contained in the Charters granted them by several Kings of this Realm, and confirmed by sundry Parliaments. Formerly published for general Information, upon the occasion of the Quo Warranto brought against the said City, and now reprinted, upon the account of Reversing that Judgement, and Restoring the Charter, with all its ancient Rights and Privileges, under our Gracious Sovereign Lord and Lady King William and Queen Mary. Printed for Langley Curtiss.  
☞ These are to give Notice to all Persons, for the Benefit of the Public, That Mr. Elmy, Professor of Physic, and Operator, of known Integrity, and above 25 Years practice, Liveth at the Blue Ball in Whale-Bone Court, at the Lower End of Bartholomew-lane by the Royal Exchange, who most safely and expeditiously Cures Deafness and Noise in the Ears in any of what Age soever, (if Curable) and at first Sight, by Inspection, Resolves the Patient if so or not, as most Eminent Persons of Quality in this City can Testify.   

London Printed, for Langley Curtiss at the Sign of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey's Head near Fleet-Bridge. 1690.