army more "rascally" than that of Germany, Holland or England?
Fifty years ago I saw an history of Mesneger, an emissary that Louis 14th sent over to England under pretence of sounding the disposition of the British Ministry to make peace, of his intrigues and negotiations for that purpose in pursuance of instructions from Louis himself.
Louis was desirous of peace but if the war must be continued, he wished it to be in Spain rather than Germany where Marlborough and Eugene commanded, and where English, Dutch and German armies were more numerous and more easily supported than in Spain.
Mesneger says that after some secret conferences with the secret agent of the Ministry and finding that terms of peace were not to be had upon Louis's conditions, he had resort, according to his instructions to his ulterior measures. He made inquiry after the fine writers of whom Great Britain has good store, and excellent in their kind, and withal very cheap. Of these he engaged in a number of terms which they thought generous to write for him. As the passion of the English is for war, he studied to gratify it, and at the same time to give it such a direction as he and his master wished.
Immediately the newspapers appeared full of paragraphs and speculations recommending a vigorous prosecution of the war, especially in Spain both by pamphlets issued from the press urging and elaborately proving the policy and necessity of a vigorous prosecution of the war and especially in Spain. The conversation of the same Man of Letters and all other persons at the Coffee Houses was now is the time