the bishop, "That fuch a step would be contrary to all the 1712. alliances and treaties betwixt their high mightineffes and "the queen: that they had merited otherwife by the defer❝ence, which, on all occafions, they had fhewed to her majefty; and that they knew nothing of the advances, "which the bishop said her majefty had made towards the "states, on the subject of a plan of peace." The bifhop replied, "That he must not forget to tell them, his inftructi66 ons did further bear, that, confidering the conduct of the "states towards her majefty, she thought herself difengaged "from all alliances and engagements with their high mighti"neffes." The bifhop did not, in exprefs words, name the Barrier Treaty; but he did not except it: fo they reckoned it was included in the general words he had used.

The lord bishop's anfwer and declaration, being, by exprefs, brought to the Hague the night between the 2d and 3d of June, was, the next morning, communicated to the minifters of the allies; feveral conferences were held, and private measures concerted between the ftates, the elector of Hanover, the landgrave of Heffe-Caffel, and fome other princes of the empire, for the fubfifting and maintaining the foreign troops in the pay of Great-Britain; fo that the confederate army fhould fuffer no other diminution, than by the troops of Great-Britain, which did not amount to above twelve thousand men. In the mean time, the ftates-general wrote a long letter to the queen, which, on the 5th of June, they fent, by an exprefs to their envoy in London, with orders to deliver it into her own hands. And count Zinzendorf, who had likewife received an account of what had paffed in the army, went from Utrecht to the Hague, on the ift of June, N. S. and dispatched the next day three expreffes, one to the emperor, another to prince Eugene, and the third to the imperial minifter in London. And the baron de Hohendorf, adjutant-general to prince Eugene, who came over with a commiffion from Vienna, to follicit the payment of the fubfidy voted by the house of commons for the war in Spain, being on his departure for London, count Zinzendorf gave him likewife fresh instructions about the present juncture of affairs.

The British court having, on the 25th of May, O. S. received an exprefs from Holland, the queen did not come, as ufual, to St. James's chapel, but held a council at Kenfington. Two days after the baron de Hohendorf arrived in London, and in the afternoon was in conference with the lord-treasurer, who gave him fair hopes. The fame after

noon

1712.

May 27,
O, S.

Debate about the

duke of Or

mond's declining to act.

Pr. H. L.

"

noon Van Borselen, envoy from the states, was alfo in conference with the treasurer on the subject of what he had represented the evening before in a private audience (y); upon which orders were fent to the duke of Ormond to concur with the general of the allies in a fiege. In the mean time the news of what had happened in the army being spread abroad, and having occafioned a general furprize, the lord Hallifax acquainted the house of peers, "That he had mat"ters of great importance to lay before them ;" and defired, that the members might be fummoned to attend the service of the house the next day. The peers being in a full house on the 28th of May, the lord Hallifax made a speech, wherein he first took notice of the strange declaration made in the army by the duke of Ormond: then fhewed the ill confequences of fuch a proceeding, and the neceffity of carrying on the war with vigour; and concluded with a motion for an addrefs, humbly to defire her majefty to lay before the "house the orders she had sent to the general, and to order "him to act offenfively in concert with the allies." When he had done speaking, fome objections were raised as to the matter of fact; but though the lord Hallifax did not want proofs, having among others, a copy of prince Eugene's letter, yet he did not think proper to produce it; and fome other whig lords contented themselves with preffing those in the ministry to acquaint the house, Whether any orders of restraint had been sent to the duke of Ormond? The treasurer, who was moft concerned in this affair, anfwered, "That they, who "had the honour to ferve the queen, could not reveal the "orders fhe gave to her general, without a particular di "rection from her majefty; and that, in his opinion, those "orders were not fit to be divulged. That however, he would "adventure to fay, that, if the duke of Ormond had refused "to act offenfively, he did not doubt, but he had followed "his inftructions: and it was prudence not to hazard a bat"tle upon the point of concluding a good peace, especially "confidering they had to deal with an enemy fo apt to "break his word." The earl of Wharton faid, "He was "extremely glad to find that noble lord fo candid, as to ac"knowledge the infincerity of France: But that, in his opi"nion, this was a strong reason for keeping no measures with

(y) The treafuter, among other things, faid to him, when he complained of the bishop of Brifor's declarations, "The bishop

"was certainly in a very bad hu"mour, when he talked at that "rate." Burnet, Vol. II. 608.

"fuch

"fuch an enemy, but rather for pufhing him with the ut- 1712.
"moft vigour, till he was reduced to the neceffity of dealing
"honeftly." The treasurer replied, "Tho' the duke of
66 Ormond might have refused to hazard a general action,
yet he could be positive, he would not decline joining with
"the allies in a fiege, orders having been fent him for that
"purpose." The duke of Marlborough faid, "He did not
"know how to reconcile the orders, not to hazard a battle,
"and to join in a fiege, to the rules of war; fince it was
"impoffible to make a fiege, without either hazarding a bat-
"tle, in case the enemy attempted to relieve the place, of
"fhamefully raifing the fiege." The duke of Argyle, on
"the other hand, excufed the orders given to the duke of

:

Ormond, and, among other things, faid, "That, in his
"opinion, fince the time of Julius Cæfar, there had not been
"a greater captain than prince Eugene of Savoy but that,
"nevertheless, confidering the different interefts of the houfe
"of Auftria and of Great-Britain, it might not confift with
"prudence to trust him with the management of the war,
"because a battle, won or loft, might intirely break off a
"negociation of peace, which, in all probability, was near
"being concluded. That, according to his knowledge, no-
"thing was more uncertain than the iffue of a battle, where
"victory was ftill wavering, and fo often changed fides, that

they, who, after five or fix fuccefsful charges, thought
"themselves fure of gaining the day, had at last been routed
" and put to flight. Adding, that two years before the con-
"federates might have taken Arras or Cambray, instead of
"amufing themselves, with the infignificant conquefts of
"Aire, Bethune, and St. Venant." The earl of Notting-
ham declared on the other fide, "That he could not com-
"prehend why orders had been given to our general not to
fight, unlefs certain perfons were apprehenfive of weaken-
.. ing
the French, fo far as to disable them to affist them in
"bringing about defigns, which they durft not yet own."
The duke of Devonshire faid on the fame fide, "That, by
"the proximity of blood, he was more concerned for
"the duke of Ormond's reputation than any other; and'
"therefore he could not forbear declaring, he was surprized
"to fee any one dare to make a nobleman of the first rank,
"and of fo diftinguished a character, the inftrument of fuch
"a proceeding." The earl Pawlet anfwered, "That no
"body could doubt of the duke of Ormond's courage and
"bravery; but that he was not like a certain general, who

led troops to the flaughter, to caufe a great number of

" officers

1712.

"officers to be knocked on the head in a battle, or against "ftone walls, in order to fill his pockets, by difpofing of "their commiffions." This reflection, so visibly levelled at the duke of Marlborough, could not but very fenfibly affect him; but he reftrained his refentment for a while, and remained filent (z). On the other hand, the lord Cowper made a long speech, wherein he complained of their being kept so long in the dark about the progress of a negotiation of peace; and fome other whig lords having preffed the earl of Strafford to give the house an account of it, he excused himself, as not having the queen's orders for it. But the treasurer affured them, “That, in a few days, her majesty, according to her "promise, would lay before her parliament the conditions, "he doubted not would give intire fatisfaction to every mem"ber of that houfe, and to all true Englishmen." Some lords having declared their apprehenfions of a separate peace; the treasurer affured them, "that nothing of that nature was

(z) As foon as the house was up, the lord Mohun went to the earl Pawlet, and told him, that the duke of Marlborough defired to have an eclaircifment with his lordship, about fome expreffions he had used in that day's debate; and therefore defired him to go and take the air in the country. The earl, who readily understood the meaning of fuch an eclaircifment, asked my lord Mohun, Whether he brought him a challenge? To which he answered, That his meffage wanted no explanation, and that he would accompany the duke of Marlborough. The earl Pawlet being returned home, with fome emotion, and having given his lady a hint of what had paffed, the earl of Dartmouth, fecretary of ftate, was foon acquainted with it; and went immediately to the duke of Marlborough, and defired him not to ftir abroad. At the fame time, his lordship caufed two centries to be placed at the earl Pawlet's houfe; and, having in

formed the queen of the whole affair, her majefty fent him back to the duke of Marlborough, to defire him, that this might go no further. His grace gave his word of honour, that he would comply with her majefty's commands: but, though this quarrel ended without bloodshed, yet many began to apprehend the confequences of the heats and animofities of the two parties, which daily increased. The duke of Marlborough was afterwards feverely cenfured, for fetting the

example of party-duels: but, on the other hand, the tongues of moft people were very free with the duke of Ormond: and, to this purpofe, we may take notice, that, an alehouse-keeper in Westminster, having, either for a jeft-fake, or out of mere fimplicity, fet up for his fign his grace's head, with this infcription, the • General of Peace,' the government ordered the fame to be taken down.

❝ ever

ever intended; and that such a peace would be fo bafe, fo knavish, and fo villainous a thing, that every one, who "ferved the queen, knew, they muft anfwer it with their "heads to the nation; but that it would appear to be a safe

and a glorious peace, much more to the honour and interest of the nation, than the preliminaries, that were agreed to "three years before. He alfo affirmed, that the allies knew <of it, and were fatisfied with it." The lord Halifax, obferving the difpofition of the house, would have dropped his motion, without dividing; but the court-party, being fure of a majority, infifted to have the question for adjourning the debate, which being carried in the affirmative by fixtyeight voices against forty, twenty-five of the latter entered their protefts against the orders given to the duke of Ormond (a). This point being gained, the earl of Strafford fuggefted, "That, before the houfe entered upon the nego

(a) They were to this purpose: 4. That their lordships conceived fuch an order, as was propofed in the question, to be abfolutely neceffary, because they were convinced, that the duke of Ormond lay under fome order of restraint from acting offenfively, not only from the accounts, which were public both here and in Holland, of his declaring it, to prince Eugene, and to the deputies of the ftates at their late confultations, when both prince Eugene and thofe deputies earneftly preffed him to join in attacking the French army, which was then known to be much inferior to that of the allies, both in the number and condition of their troops; but also, for that nothing of this whole matter was denied by thofe lords, who had the means of knowing thefe facts, as undoubtedly would have been without fcruple, had not the facts been true; fince no fcruple was made of acquainting the house with a fubfequent order very lately fent to the duke of Ormond, allowing

tiation

him to join in a fiege: which
was a further evidence, that he
had before fome order of restraint;
for otherwife this laft order would
be unneceffary and abfurd; it be-
ing a general and a constant, and
a ftanding instruction to every
commander in chief by land or
fea, to do his utmost endeavour
to annoy the enemy. And it is
manifeft by this aft order, that,
even in the opinion of the mini-
fters, it was expedient to take off
this reftraint by fome degree; and
the leaving the duke of Ormond
ftill under a reftraint from giving
battle to the French, feemed molt
unaccountable and inconfiftent
with the liberty indulged to him,
of joining in a fiege, and render-
ing it altogether useless. For no
place, when taken, could be of
fuch advantage to the allies as
Cambray, which opens a free paf-
fage for our army into the heart
of France; and it was impoffible
to besiege that place, without dif
lodging the French from their
incampments; and this alfo was
impoffible, if the French would

Kk

keep

1712.