bling all the troops, paffing the Scarpe, and forming the 1712. armies on the 21ft between Doway and Marchiennes, where prince Eugene and the duke of Ormond defigned to join their refpective forces, and there concert fuch further measures, as might be requifite for carrying on the service of the campaign. The duke had, fome days before, received two expreffes from Mr. fecretary St. John, who, in his letter of the 16th of April, told his grace," That he found, by very certain : intelligences from Holland, that the Dutch minifters "were not without their fears of their new general: that "they began to confider, he was a papift, and a German, . at least in intereft: that the emperor, his master, had nothing to lose on the fide of the Netherlands: that a battle won might give ground for infifting on higher terms than the house of Austria was now likely to obtain: that a battle loft might ftill continue to prolong the war; and that, in either cafe, the expence of blood would fall * to the share of the queen and ftates that he was of opi"nion, that thefe reflections had occafioned private directions to their generals, to use more caution than the prince "would perhaps approve: and that his grace might fee, that this measure was not very confiftent with the compliment of an unlimited command, made to that prince by Mr. Lathmer, in the name of the ftates." And, on the 25th of April, O. S. (which was before it was known, that France had agreed fo much as to propofe to the king of Spain the alternative of the two monarchies, which was not till the 18th of May) Mr. fecretary St. John began to give the duke of Ormond fome diftant hint of the scene, which was afterwards to be opened, and told him, "That "the queen inclined to be of opinion, that all the troops, whether fubjects or foreigners, belonging to her, fhould "be immediately under his grace's command. That there, "might have been formerly reasons for using a different 1712. " method; but there feemed at present to be fome of a "very ftrong nature for taking this; and perhaps these "might every day grow ftill ftronger. That there could "be no need for him to enter into the grounds, which they “had, in this conjuncture, to be jealous of prince Eugene's "conduct his grace would fee and know them all better than they could be repeated; but that on this occafion "the queen directed him to inform his grace, that she thought, he was to be more cautious, for fome time, of engaging in any action, unless in the cafe of a very apparent and confiderable advantage, because he would "daily be strengthened by the arrival of the imperial troops: 66 and it was but juft, thefe fhould have their part, if any "thing of that kind was to happen. That the great arti"cle of preventing the union of the two monarchies was "not yet entirely fettled; the expedients were hard of digeftion to the French ftomachs; but, if this was got "over, he did not fee any formidable difficulty in the way. The duke returned an answer to these dispatches, wherein he gave an account, what the Dutch had done in regard to the point of command: "That he was intirely of the "fecretary's pinion, that a battle, either loft or won, "would at this time make very great alterations in the trea"ties now on foot. But that the fecretary might remem"ber, that in his inftructions he was ordered to act in con"junction with the allies, in profecuting the war with vigour; fo that, fhould there happen a fair opportunity "to attack the enemy, he could not decline it, if propofed "by the prince and ftates: but he hoped to hear from him έσ by a meffenger, before the armies were formed, which "would be on the 21ft." The duke added, in a second letter of May the 20th, "That, if there were a good op"portunity to attack the enemy, and get into France, by "the way of Champagne, he was fure, the prince and the "ftates would prefs it, unless they heard from England, that "the peace was near being concluded: that he wished it very heartily; but, if it were delayed, he hoped, he "fhould have the good fortune to force the French to com"ply with the queen's demands." ૮૮ 66 The armies having marched on the day appointed, the duke took his quarters at Marchiennes, where, in concert with prince Eugene, and the foreign generals, he refolved to go nearer the enemy; and it was agreed, that the two armies fhould pafs the Scheld, and encamp, the right of prince Eugene's at Neufville, and the left of the duke of Ormond's 1712. at Solemes, where they had the river Selle in their rear. But, on the 24th of May, in the evening an express came from Mr. fecretary St. John, with a letter dated May 10, O. S. to acquaint the duke, "That, fince her majesty had << reafon to believe, that she should come to an agreement .. upon the great article of preventing the union of the two "monarchies, as foon as a courier fent from Versailles to Ma"drid could return, it was her majefty's pofitive command, "that he should avoid engaging in any fiege, or hazarding a "battle, till he received further orders from England.' The fecretary acquainted the duke likewife, "That the "queen would have him difguife the receipt of this order; "and that he thought he could not want pretences for "conducting himself fo, as to answer her ends, without "owning that, which might at prefent have an ill effect, "if it was publicly known. That he could not think "with patience of facrificing men, when there was a fair "profpect of obtaing her purpose another way; nor would the fuffer herself to be exposed to the reproach of hav❝ing retarded, by the events of the campaign, a negotia tion, which might have been as good as concluded in "few days." He added, "That this order was communi"cated at the fame time to the court of France; fo that, if "the marshal de Villars fhould take any private notice of ❝it, the duke was to answer accordingly." On the 25th of May, N. S. the duke wrote two letters to Mr. fecretary St. John, a private and a public letter. In the firft, which was his private letter, and all written with his own hand, he " acknowledged the receipt of the fecre tary's orders, not to engage in fiege or battle; to which "he promised an exact obedience, and to keep fecret his "having received any fuch command; and that he would "endeavour to hinder its being fufpected. But that prince Eugene and the ftates having proposed to attack the "enemy; or, if that be found too hazardous, to befiege "Quefnoy, he feared it would be very difficult for him to "difguife the true reason of oppofing all proposals, that "fhould be made for undertaking any thing, having no "excufe for delays, all the troops expected and the heavy "cannon, being to be there on Saturday. And that, if he "could have found forage there, he would have made fome pretence to delay the march, though the difpofitions of "it were made before he received this letter." But, on the fame day, the duke wrote another public letter of the 113 10th, 500 1712. 10th, wherein he took no notice of his orders, not to engage in fiege or battle, but spoke of his having reviewed the English troops, and found them in fo good a condition, as must convince all the allies, how groundless the complaints were, that had been made of our backwardness, "of which, he faid, I believe you will now hear no more.' And he added, "If we find an opportunity to bring the enemy to 66 a battle, we fhall not decline it." On the 28th of May, N. S. the duke in his letter to the fecretary faid, “ Yef"terday prince Eugene, and the ftates-deputies defired, "that I would confent to fend the quarter-mafters to view "the French camp; which I could not refufe, without giv"ing them fome fufpicion of what I am ordered to dif"guife; but I was fure, that nothing of action could hap"pen, the enemy being behind the Scheld. The detach❝ment, that went with them, were forty fquadrons, and "all the grenadiers of my army to fupport them, and "make good their retreat, fhould the enemy have endea"voured for to have attacked them. They went as far (I mean the horse) as Catelet, where the right of the enemy's army lies, and are come back without feeing any of "the French on our fide the Scheld. The distance between the head of the Somme, and that of the Scheld, is not above a league and a half, which is a plain, and the enemy have not yet offered to throw up any retrenchment. May "be to-morrow they will begin to work, fince they have feen our troops reconnoitring that way." Prince Eugene and the deputies being to dine with the duke the next day, he was under apprehenfions, that they would prefs him to undertake fomething immediately, which it would be very hard to conceal the true reafon of his refufing, having no reasonable excufe for it. In this letter he gave an account of a letter, which he had received from the marfhal Villars, and the answer, which he had written to the marshal. For May the 25th, N. S. the marshal acquainted the duke, "That he had the king's orders, and the queen's confent, "to write to him, as foon as he received the courier; and, .. whatever glory was to be acquired against a general, "whofe valour was fo well known among them, he defired him to be affured, that he never received more agreeable news, than that they were to be no longer enemies : and that it was the king's particular injunctice to him to keep this matter with an inviolable fecrecy." The duke, according to the intimation given him by Mr. St. John, anfwered, "That he had received orders on that * fubject 66 1712. 66 fubject from the queen, and fhould be fure to conform "himfelf punctually to them: but the keeping the fecret "enjoined would very much depend on the measures the "marshal himself fhould take. The duke, on his part, "let him know, that the march, he fhould be obliged to "make, was chiefly for the fubfiftance of the troops; and that the marihal need not be in any apprehenfions on that account; at least, the duke would answer for "the army, which he had the honour to command." It is impoffible to account for this tranfaction, unless the duke had orders, not only not to act against France, but to give the French general intelligence of all that was defigned in the confederate army. The report being made by the quarter-mafters-general, who went with the detachment to view the French camp, and they all agreeing, that the ground was as advantageous as could be, their situation being fuch, as gave an opportunity of falling upon their flank and rear, it was propofed to the duke to march without delay to the enemy, and to attack them. What the The duke duke did upon this occafion appears from this letter of May refufes to the 29th, N. S. to Mr. St. John: "You may easily ima- fight. "gine, fays he, the difficulty that I was under to excufe the delaying a matter, which, according to the informá"tions I had from the quarter-mafters-general, and feve"ral other general-officers, that went out with the detach"ment, feemed to be fo practicable. The best excufe I could make was lord Strafford's fudden voyage to England, "which gave me reason to believe there must be fomething "of confequence tranfacting, which a delay of four or five days would bring to light: and therefore I defired they "would defer this undertaking, or any other, till I should "receive fresh letters from England, fince fo fhort a delay "could not be of any ill confequence." Upon which both prince Eugene, and the ftates deputies, told the duke plainly, "That his answer was agreeable to the fufpicions they had for fome time entertained, particularly fince the exprefs of the 24th, which they knew had brought "him letters from England." And they were the more confirmed in these fufpicions, because marihal Villars, “who "had on all occafions fhewn himself very vigilant, did "not send out a man to observe their motions, nor take any other precautions to fecure his camp, where it lay fo much expofed; and he could not be ignorant, how ftrong 66 a detachment had been abroad on that fide." The duke could not divert the propofal, which had been made I i 4 to of Ormond |