October 1706 La Gloire du Roi has now shown up and the news for all non playing observers.......is that there is no news or at least not the fire, brimstone and mass bloodletting most people expected.
Non events included:
1) Big Lou is still stuck in Chalons-sur-Marne but for reasons unknown the Hapsburgs are not crashing mortar fire down on Big Lou and streets full of French Cavalry. While the French are not throwing the kitchen sink at the Austrian siege lines. In fact the only thing which seems to have happened is the arrival of more allied troops?
If things do return to normal the Army of the Nord may have a small problem in that as well as reinforced Austrians to their front they now have Spanish & Reicharmee (who may be Dutch ?) troops behind them.
2) The French scouted out Lyons but do not seem to have done anything else.
3) At Perpignan the Spanish had the French & Austrian commanders to dinner.......seems a very civilized siege.
Basically everyone seems to be marking time waiting for the Yorktown diplomats to sort things out
4) In Yorktown the Emperors man said he is not willing to make a peace wth the French seperate to Spain and the Dutch. The Spanish have said if the French want to only deal with one set of talks that is Ok by them and the Emperor's man speaks for the whole House of Hapsburg.
If the Dutch say the same it seems that its down to the Marquis of Kersaint & Von Reldburg to bring peace to continental Europe.
In other news:
5) The Queen of Spain has had a third Girl.
6) King James has said he is not going to marry The Queen of Spain's sister even if the match now has Papal blessing......perhaps he is not impressed with all the girls in this family. The alternative view is that since he said this from Paris he is having his chain pulled by the Marquis de Torcy.
7) However, even if the Wedding is now off the English and the Spanish seem to have stopped shooting each other so its only a part success for De Torcy.
English seem no closer to working out who is going to be King & Queen of England. But in theme for month they are not shooting at each other.
Clearly G7 is having a nasty outbreak of spirit and goodwill to all men..........its never going to last.