1712. to fall upon the French army, by offering to undertake a fiege; fince Quefnoy, the place to be attacked, was within less than three leagues of the army, and all things neceffary for a fiege were already at Marchiennes; fo that the confequence of this offer would have been the immediate invefting of that place, which was as contrary to the queen's last orders, as a battle. Prince Eugene, and the deputies seemed extremely diffatisfied with the duke's anfwer, and faid, "They "were obliged to give an account of what had passed, and of "the delays made by the duke, to their mafters, by ex"prefs." In this pofture things continued for fome days, when, on the 4th of June, N. S. two of the deputies made a vifit to the duke; and, in the evening, fent him a long meof the states morial, containing the fubftance of their discourse with him. deputies upIn this they told the duke, " That, by order of their ma ❝fters, they represented to him, with how great a degree "of furprize the states had received the news of his declar Memorial on it. ing, he would undertake nothing, till he had letters from "England, and of his refufing to affift either in a fiege or a "battle. That it feemed to them incomprehenfible and un"accountable, why the allies fhould lofe fuch an apparent "opportunity they had, as well in regard to the goodness "and number of their troops, as the fituation of the armies, "to gain fome great advantage over the enemy, which, if "once neglected, might for ever be irretrievable. That they "could by no means conceive his orders was fo ftrict, as " to tie up his hands, when fo fair an occafion of annoy"ing the enemy prefented itself: and that, in their opinion, "fuch orders ought to be understood in the best sense, so "as to enjoin the declining any attempt for fome little "time, provided no great prejudice might redound by "that means to the common caufe; but in no wife fo justify the fitting ftill with their arms acrofs, in fuch a "fituation, where inaction would cut off all hopes of their "being able to attempt any thing for the future; fince, if the "army continued inactive for any time, the forage would "be confumed, and the operations for the reft of the cam"paign would be rendered not only difficult, but impracti"cable. Befides, the enemy would have time to intrench "and fortify their camp, as much as they pleased. That "the ftates had ordered them to inforce these arguments "with others, and particularly with this, That the army, "his grace commanded, confifted not only of her majefty's national troops, but, for the most part, of fuch, "as were in the joint pay of her majefty and the ftates, "the the command of which indeed belonged to his grace, as "general in chief; but, as thofe troops were engaged by "both powers jointly, to make war, and act against the "enemy, they could not be exempted from that fervice by "his grace alone, without the knowledge and confent of "the ftates; at least, without contradicting the treaties and "the ends, by and for which they were engaged. That "not only the treaty of the grand alliance, but others made "between her majesty and the ftates, obliged her majesty έσ to push on the war with vigour; but the declaration <his grace made, that he could not act till farther orders, "at a time, when, by his grace's own approbation, they "had marched juft within fight of the enemy, and when "there was so fair a profpect of fuccefs, if fomething were "attempted, could not, they thought, be reconciled ei"ther with thofe treaties, or the repeated affurances, which "her majefty had given them by letters, by my lord_Straf"ford, and by his grace, lately at the Hague. There"fore they defired his grace, if he had any regard to those "treaties and affurances, which ought to be kept facred, to "push on the war with vigour, offenfively against the "enemy; but that, if his grace perfifted in his refolution of "not acting offenfively, they defired to know, whether he "would confent, that the troops under him might be em"ployed to cover a fiege, which they would undertake; "and whether he would give a promife to attack the enemy, "if they came to disturb them. That, in cafe his grace "refused, they did in the most folemn manner, and in the strongest terms, protest against the irreparable damage, "which fuch a conduct would occafion to the confederacy. "That, in order the better to guide themselves, they de"manded to know precifely, what his orders were; how far "they reached; and what dependance the states might have on her majefty's troops for the future: and laftly, they "required, on their part, that his grace would not hinder "the troops in the joint pay from acting agreeably to the "reafon of war, and their folemn treaties and engagements. "The conclufion of the memorial was, that the states had ¢ ordered this reprefentation to be made in writing to his grace, that all the world and pofterity might fee, that they "have been fo far from being guilty of the great injury, "which the common caufe receives from the prefent inac tion, that they have done all in their power to prevent it; " and that others are to answer for all the unhappy confe$6 quences of it." To the fubftance of this memorial, expreffed "before 1712. 1712. before by the deputies in their discourse with the duke, he could only anfwer, that, before he entered upon action, he fhould be glad to receive letters from England, which • he expected every moment.'. And this was all the fatisfaction he was then at liberty to give to their demands, bound up as he was, by his laft inftructions. The duke immediately dispatched a meffenger to England, with an account of what had paffed, hoping, That, before they came to any extremities, he fhould have his final orders, and recommending it as a matter of the greatest importance, both to the public and himself, that he should know her majesty's pleasure as foon as might be. In the mean time, prince Eugene and the states deputies preffed the duke continually for a pofitive anfwer, representing, at the fame time, the goodness and fuperiority of the confederate troops, which could not be contradicted; and concluding, that the duke muft have orders not to do any thing, though he would not own them; fince they knew, he could not otherwise answer for his inaction.' In debating this matter, one of the deputies took, as the duke thought, too much liberty in cenfuring the proceedings of England; which he was defired to forbear, as being no way agreeable to that good understanding, which was fo necessary to be kept up between the queen and the ftates. While the duke was under this uneafinefs, on the 7th of June, N. S. a letter came from Mr. St. John, dated the 17th of May, O. S. which expreffed "the impatience her majesty was in to hear, "whether the orders, fent on the 10th of May, came fafely "and early to his hands, and the affurance fhe had of his "punctual obedience to her commands in so nice and imσε portant a conjuncture." The duke returned an answer the next day, representing, "That things were now come to great extremity: that he could not avoid seeing every day "fresh marks of the ill blood and diffatisfaction caused among the allies, by the measures he was obliged to ob"ferve: that many of them did not fcruple to fay, We were betraying them; and this ferment feemed rather likely to "increase, than diminish; and, confidering the circumstances we were in, it was hard to fay, what might be the confequences of it that, let the peace, which he was in daily. "expectation to hear of, be never fo advantageous, he was "apprehenfive, that, if the allies fhould pretend to diflike "it, he could not depend upon any troops, but those com"pofed of her majefty's own fubjects. And what confirmed "him in this opinion was, that he was well informed, that : <if, the elector of Hanover did not approve of the peace, for his troops would have orders to ferve with the Dutch, and "would likewife be augmented by all that prince could spare " from other parts; and he was not without fufpicion, that endeavours were likewife ufing to gain the Danes." The close of his letter was in these words: " By this and my "mer you may guess, how uneafy a fituation I am in; and, if there be no profpect of action, I do not fee of what use "I am here; and, if it fuit with her majesty's service, I "fhould be glad, I might have leave to return to England. "But in this, and all other matters, I fhall readily fubmit to her majefty's pleafure. I am impatient to hear from you what I am to depend upon." 1712. Prince Eugene and the Deputies having refolved to befiege Quefnoy beQuesnoy (x), the town was invested on the 8th of June, by fieged. a detachment from the two armies, confifting of thirty battalions, and as many squadrons, under the command of general Fagel. The duke, though he had no part in carrying on the fiege, yet could not refufe furnishing feven battalions and nine fquadrons of the troops in the joint pay of England and the states, but avoided fending any of thofe, which were in the queen's whole pay. On the 10th, a letter came from marfhal Villars, wherein he let the duke know, "He had received feveral advices, "that Quefnoy was invefted; and that part of the troops in his grace's army was employed in that fervice: that, by order of his mafter, he defires to know of him, if any "troops under his command have a fhare in undertaking or forming that fiege; for he could not think, prince Eugene "would venture to attempt it with thofe forces alone, which "he commands. He therefore begs his grace would explain "this matter to him, that he may know how to act, and "take his measures, according as prince Eugene perfeveres ❝in, or defifts from, this enterprize. He adds, that a cou"rier went from Paris the morning before, with the answer "of Spain to the queen, which, it was fuppofed, would be fatisfactory." The duke's anfwer was, "That, as the "marshal obferved himself, of what confequence it was to "keep this affair secret, he would leave him to judge, whe (x) Quefnoy, afmall, but ftrong the French. It ftands feven miles town of the Low-Countries, in the earldom of Hainault, and territory of Valenciennes, fubject to fouth-eaft of Valenciennes, 18 "ther 1712. { claration to 66 "ther he could have done it better, than by the conduct he "had observed. That it was true, that for the fiege of Quefnoy, which it was not in his power to prevent, he had furnished fome troops, which were paid in part by the <ftates, but not one fingle man folely in the queen's pay. "That he thought, fince the trenches were not opened, the 66 fiege would have no effect to break the measures concerted "between their fovereigns, before they could receive their « final instructions." He concludes, "He was furprized, "upon the duke of Wirtemberg's informing him, that the "marshal had said to one of that duke's trumpets, that the "English would do the French no hurt, nor the French them that himself had fuch orders, and did not doubt, "but the duke of Ormond had the fame." The marshal, in another letter the next day, denied, "That he had ever "feen or heard of any trumpet from the duke of Wirtem"berg: that this was a mere invention of those, who had a "mind to give a reputation to the Dutch Gazettes, in "which it had been affirmed, that his grace had fhewed "prince Eugene his orders, not to engage in any attempt. "He defires to be informed by his grace, whether the army "under his command would oppofe any attempt, which the king's forces would certainly make upon prince Eugene's, "if he continued the fiege: and adds, that the king, while "he fees prince Eugene undertaking a siege, and knows the "army under his grace ought not to act, directly or indirectly, against his, would be very much displeased with "him, if he fhould continue unactive." .. Bishop of By this time the Dutch plenipotentiaries at Utrecht havBristol's de- ing, by order of the ftates, expoftulated with the bishop of the Dutch Bristol, about the duke of Ormond's refufing to affift the conminifters, federates in any undertaking against the enemy: the bishop June 2. answered, "That he knew nothing of the matter, and would "represent it to the queen :" But, at the same time, he took occafion to let them know, "That, two days before, he had "received an exprefs, with a letter from her majefty, in which the complained, that, notwithstanding all the ad"vances she had made from time to time to the states, in "order to engage them to enter with her upon a plan of "peace, their high mightineffes had not anfwered her as "they ought, and as her majesty hoped they would. That "therefore they ought not to be furprized, if her majesty "did not think herfelf at liberty to enter into separate mea<fures, in order to obtain a peace for her own conveniency." Upon this, the plenipotentiares of the ftates reprefented to the |