THE Dint of Sword , and Policy of Conduct , together with a due Reliance on assisting Providence to Crown the Success of Battle , are the great Hinges of War , on which every just Cause and glorious Arm should depend . But as France has too little of the last two Pretensions , it has not overmuch Gonfidence in the sole strength of the three first Supporters ; and therefore has recourse to a Fourth Auxiliary , vix . Infidelity , such as the vile and abject Treachery of sordid and Mercinary Renegadoes and Traytors , to betray Success and Victory into their Hands , if those fair Names may properly be given to such foul practises . A more notorious instance of which has not been , than in their late Italian Expedition , the Desings and Attempt of their Thoulon Fleet , upon the City and Fort of Naplas , and the Spanish Fleet before it .

The Martial part of our Relation has been already sufficiently and loudly publish'd : Nevertheless , as a necessary Introductian to our following Narration , we must make some short Repetition , and tell you , that the French Thoulon Squadron , consisting of 22 Capital Ships , with Nine Bomb-Ketches , and 12 Fire-Ships , and all other necessary Attendance , set Sail the 12th . of the last Month , with a Design upon the City of Naples , and the whole Spanish Fleet , as well Merchants as Men of War , lying in the Port before that City . Now so far as this Expedition was silently formed , and carried on so near to Execution ; as to that part of the French Conduct , to be just to an Enemy , we must ascribe them all due Honour : The Execution likewise of such a Design , as endeavouring no less than the Burning the whole Spanish Fleet , and Bombarding of so capital a City under the Dominion of Spain , as Naplos , which gives its Name to the whole Kingdom , and possibly grants the Precedence to no fairer , nor richer Sister ( Rome only excepted ) thro' all the Principalities of Italy ; so formidable a Design , we must acknowledge a Projection of Bulk and Importance .

But when we must descend , so far as to inform you of their poor and sordid Measures , taken for accomplishing so vast a Design , instead of France's priding her self in her high Atchievments of Glory , she has but too much Reason to blush at the infamous Foundation , on which she builds them . For example , for managing this intended Blow upon Naples , as the stroke was not to be so much their own handy work , as indeed no such open , or generous Hostility , they had privately corrupted and suborned a Traytor , of no less Figure than an Italian Abbot , and Confessor , to Papuchino the Spanish Admiral , who together with five other bejesuited Sub ▪ villain Tools , had laid this Horrid and Execrable Plot , which was upon the first Advance of the French Fleet , to have set their own Admiral's Ship of fire , by a Fire-Chest , prepared for the purpose ; the effects of which , as possibly it might be of that dangerous Consequence , as spreading a larger Conflagration thro' the whole Spanish Fleet , or at least it would certainly strike that Consternation and Confusion through them , as to facilitate the French Access , by giving them means and opportunity of making an easier Execution by their own Fire-Ships ; and thereby , after the entire Destruction of the Spanish Fleet , to have been made Masters of the whole Port , and so have been rendered capable of laying one of the most glorious Cities in Europe in Rubbish and Ashes , by their Bombs and Mortars .

This Egregious Villainy , though thus near hatcht , had nevertheless this peculiar Defeat , through a special Blessing and Providence , as to be crusht in the Embrio . For by a private Intelligence , received from Rome , not only the intended Approach of the French Fleet was advertised ( though not many Hours before its appearance ) but likewise this whole Treachery was informed the Viceroy of Naples ; who causing the Traytors to be all Apprehended , the Treason was charged upon them , though very obstinately and utterly denied by them all , especially the Abbot , Nevertheless , the Vice-roy's Intelligence being too authentick ( as being supposed to come from no less a Hand than the Pope's ) and being likewise supported and confirm'd in each part and point , by a frail weak Brother , whose remorse of Conscience bad made him fall off from the Party , he was so fully confronted with it , 'till at last he confest the Fact , and was accordingly , with the rest of his wicked Accomplices , immediately hang'd at the Yards Arm. After this Conviction , upon some Questions made him , viz. What motives could induce him to so barbarous a Treason against his own Native Prince , and that too in behalf of the Universal Enemy of Europe , he was pleased to Answer , That what be acted was out of a principle of Religion . For as the King of France had in so many several Respects signalized himself so true a Son of the Church ; and on the other side the King of Spain had so notoriously Leagued and Consorted with Hereticks , he had entertained a veneration for the one , and an aversion for the other ; and from thence had been perswaded into this particular Service to France .

Having given you this full Matter of Fact , I shall not make any long Flourish or Discant upon it , only ohserve , That we are not so much to wonder at France's clandestine Traffick with Villains and Miscreants , for gaining her ends ; for 't is not to be supposed she could shrink at hiring of Traytors to burn Navies , when last Campaign in Flanders , ( to her only glory be it recorded ) she could hire Ruffians to murder Kings ; nor is this Abbot's Religions Motives for his Infidelity , any new Miracle , when if we will but look back , we shall find the surrender of Mons ●o be owing to much such another Ecclesiastick Persuasive : All that looks strange in it , is , that the Enthusiastick Members of a Church , should have those Transports of extravagant Zeal , more than the Head of it himself has . They may call it their Religion to contrive and perpetrate such a Treason , when he may think it a part of his Religion to detect and blast it .

But to return to our Narrative , The Accomplishment of this Design , besides the blow it had given the Spaniards , had yet a further reach . The Scene of Action was laid in the Miditerranean Seas , as offering , possibly , one of the best occasions of Aggrandizing the French Glory , when so important a Naval Success ( as expected ) so near his grand Allie , the Turk , had undoubtedly not only confirmed the glorious Character of the French King , so industriously heightned and magnified at Constantinople , and thereby not a little strengthened the Interests and Confederacies betwixt the most Christian , and most Antichristian Monarch ; but likewise had , in a very high measure , repair'd their last Years Dishonour and Losses at Sea .

But whatever Renown or Advantages they had proposed to themselves , their whole Conduct herein has , on the contrary , so blazon'd both their weakness and shame , that though their loss has not equall'd that of the last Year , their Reputation has suffered little less . For on the 18th . of the last Month , with 22 Capital Ships , with English and Dutch Colours , they appeared before Naples , on the 19th . they advanced so near , as within reach of Cannon Shot , both from the Spanish Fleet , and the Castle of Baya , and the Batteries from the Rocks on the Shoar ; from all which they were very warmly saluted with the Enemies Shot : but instead of returning the Compliment , the next day they drew farther off ; and the 21th . and 22th . lay off at Sea , and the day following , without the least Attempt whatever , not so much as the discharge of one single Gun , they very shamefully retired towards Thoulon .

Thus their Plot detected , their Hirelings hang'd , their Enemies provided and prepared for their Reception , they poorly Skulkt home again , and being immediately after dispersed and shattered by a violent Storm , they made hard shift , not 'till the fourth Instant , to reach Thoulon , with not only some sad marks of the angry Heavens , the Tempest they had suffered under , but likewise with the double mortification of so glorious an Enterprize so meanly frustrated , and so potent an Allie as the Grand Seignour , so near neighbouring a Witness , of so inglorious a Retreat and Defeat .