_France_ endeavor’d to repair the Loss of these two Places by seizing the Principality of _Orange_, which we were not near enough to defend, and he put the Prince of _Conti_ in immediate Possession of it, who had some claim to it through the _Chalons_ Family, of which he call’d himself Heir. But he soon after yielded the said Principality and his Pretensions, to _Lewis_ XIV. who likewise caus’d an Edict to be publish’d there, by which it was put to the choice of all the Inhabitants to turn Catholics, or to sell their Effects and retire out of the Kingdom within the space of three Months. The Generality of those who were not willing to change their Religion, retir’d to our Court, and among others, the Members of the Parliament. The King reliev’d them as far as he could, and caus’d Collections to be made in all the Churches of his Dominions, the Money of which was distributed to those who had the most pressing Occasion for it. Soon after the Loss of _Orange_, the Margrave _Albert_ married the Princess of _Courland_. That Prince in 1696, had succeeded the late Margrave _Charles_, his Father, in the Grand Mastership[7] of the Order of St. _John_. This Order is the same as that of _Maltha_, and is only separated from it since _Luther_. The Commanderies, subject to the Elector of _Brandenburg_, which became Protestant, put themselves under the Elector’s Protection, and chose a Grand Master, or rather the Elector chose one for them. The Choice has always fallen upon a younger Prince of the Family, who is not engag’d by it to any Vow, more than the Knights, who are only obliged to prove their Nobility, to which the Sovereign very often objects. The Princess of _Courland_ was the eldest of the three Daughters that the Duke of _Courland_ had by his first Lady. He married to his second Wife the King’s Sister, and some time after he died. The Duchess his Widow, who had been oblig’d to abandon _Courland_, which the _Swedes_, the _Poles_ and the _Muscovites_ equally harass’d, came to _Konigsberg_, to be present at the Coronation of the King her Brother, who gave her that Protection she expected. Here it was, that the Year before she had married the Margrave of _Brandenburg Bareith_, the King’s Cousin; and when she went with her Husband into his Dominions, she left the eldest of her Daughters-in-law with the Queen, in hopes of her marrying the Margrave _Albert_: And the Queen, who was fond of this Princess, ordered it so, that she obtain’d the King’s Consent to the Marriage, which was celebrated some time after at _Lutzelbourg_.