Anne. duke, the next day, ordered a ceffation of arms for two 1712. months to be proclaimed by found of trumpet.

Remarks on

of arms.

Had the first defign taken effect, which was depended upon by France, and fo far prefumed by England, as to be undertaken for, that all the foreigners in the queen's pay, that compofed the duke of Ormond's army, fhould feperate and withdraw from the rest of the allies, it is notorious, that from that inftant prince Eugene's whole army, unless they fubmitted to the fame measures, had been left at the mercy of the French army to be cut in pieces, or made prifoners at the will of marshal Villars, which had left the queen's troops in no better a condition than to have the privilege of being laft deftroyed. Yet all the allies, whofe honour and confcience would not permit them to abandon their confederates, and leave them as a facrifice to France, were punished by England with the lofs of their pay and fubfidies, which was all that was in the power of the miniftry to do, to fhew their refentment at this great disappointment of the measures of France.

This march of prince Eugene, the Earl of Strafford, in a letter to Mr. St. John, thought might be turned upon them; and he prevailed with the duke of Ormond, in a meffage to prince Eugene, to fay, that his marching without us, and all the queen's auxiliaries marching from us, expofed us fo, that we have been obliged to fend to the French to declare with us a ceffation of arms: nothing less could put the queen's troops in fafety. For though (fays the earl) matters fell out fo pat, that without this we must have declared for the ceflation, yet why should we not turn all this matter upon them?"

Upon a thorough confideration of this fatal ceflation, it is the ceffation very evident, that it was of infinite advantage, and abfolutely neceffary to the affairs of France; and therefore infifted upon Rep. of the com. of fec. by them. And it is as certain, that the English miniftry gave early into it, if they were not the first advisers of it; for which no other account need be required, but that, as all their measures tended to advance the intereft of the queen's enemies, they could not fail to be zealous in a point, which contributed more to thofe views than any one occurrence during the whole negotiation; but, as they all along wanted appearances, and confulted them more than any real advantages to the kingdom, they thought it neceffary to annex fome conditions to this important article, that might pafs upon the deluded people, as a juftification of this unprecedented treachery. The demolition of Dunkirk was always

fo

fo popular a point, that nothing could strike the imaginations Anne. of the people more, than to be told, that this important place 1712. was delivered into the queen's poffeffion. This ftep, they thought, well improved, would recommend the peace itself, at least justify the ceffation. And as the nation had nothing more at heart than the difpofition of the Spanish monarchy, after the renunciation had been industriously cried up, and the queen had declared from the throne, that France and Spain were thereby more effectually divided than ever, these two articles were made the effential conditions of granting a ceffation of arms. For the renunciation, France eafily confented to it, having declared it to be null and void by the fundamental laws of France. For the other article, it is evident how unwillingly France was brought to surrender Dunkirk; but this the miniftry were refolved to purchase at any rate, as what would easily amuse and fenfibly affect the nation; and therefore, to obtain this, they engaged not only to grant a ceffation of arms, but to conclude a feparate peace. The prospect of concluding a feparate peace, and the obtaining immediately a ceffation of arms, which answered all the purposes of France almost as well as a feparate peace, by leaving the whole confederacy in their power, and, at their mercy, were fo great temptations to France, that the furrender of Dunkirk was agreed to. But, when it is confidered what England gained by granting this fatal ceffation, it will be found, that the demolition of Dunkirk has by no means anfwered the purposes pretended by it; and, for the renunciation, the English ministry were told by France, that they fhould deceive themselves, who received it as a fufficient expedient to prevent the union of the two monarchies (k).

(k) Burnet obferves on this occafion: The withdrawing the English forces in this manner, from the confederate army, was cenfured, not only as a manifeft breach of faith and of treaties, but as treacherous in the highest and bafest degree. The duke of Ormond had given the States fuch affurances, of his going along with them through the whole campaign, that he was let into the fecrets of all their counfels, which by that confi

In

troops not

Anne. In the evening of the fame day, the duke of Ormond had 1712. declared the fufpenfion of arms, Villars fent him word, he had likewife that day declared the fame, pursuant to their The British agreement. On the 18th of July, N. S, the British forces marched from Avefne le Secq to Flines, being joined in the pa's though way by two battalions and two squadrons of Great-Britain, Bouchain which made part of the feparate body posted at Denain under aid Doway. the command of the earl of Albemarle. Before the feparation Cond. of the of the confederate forces, the deputies of the States faid

umered to

D. of Or

mozd.

openly, That they hoped the duke of Ormond did not in-
tend to march through any of their towns.' But, notwith-
standing this declaration, the earl of Strafford and fome Eng-
Jifh officers having that day offered to pass through Bouchain,
they were refused entrance at the gates, and told by the
guards, That pofitive orders was given to let no English-
man into the town.' 'The officers, not being satisfied, sent
to the commandant himself, who returned the fame anfwer.
When the British army came near Doway, they met with
the like treatment from the commandant of that place, which
was the more furprizing, because the British forces had their
hospital and great quantities of flores in that town. The
duke of Ormond, the better to provide for the fecurity and
fubfiftence of the troops, that were with him, as well as for
thofe in the town and citadel of Ghent, where part of his ar-
tillery and ammunition was kept, made the difpofition for
marching towards that place. Prince Eugene and the depu-
ties of the States were fo alarmed at the duke's intention of
going towards Ghent, that on the fame day they fent count
Naflau Woudenbourg to the duke with a memorial, but not
figned, to represent to him, that, after the excuses made
by the lord Albemarle the day before at Bouchain, they were
extremely diffatisfied to hear by public report, that the com-
mandant of Doway had likewife refused to admit some of the
English officers, and to let out the undertakers for the queen's
magazines. That they were very much mortified at the ex-
traordinary conduct of those two commandants, and affured
his
grace, they had absolutely no orders for so doing, directly

1

Anne.

1712.

or indirectly; and that they not only disavowed their pro-
ceedings, but would give them fuch a reprimand, as they
deferved.' But this memorial made no impreffion on the
duke, who was perfuaded, that the commandants had express
orders for what they had done; and that those orders were
general, fince, after the presenting of the memorial, the fame
difficulties happened at Tournay, Oudenarde, and Lifle, as
had at Bouchain and Doway. But the design of thofe orders
seems to have been, that the British officers fhould be permit-
ted to pass through the frontier towns, but that the troops
fhould not be fuffered to poffefs themselves of them. The
next day, the duke pursued his march to Fleurival near Tour-
nay; and on the 26th received a letter from Mr. St. John,
now created viscount Bolingbroke, acquainting him, That,
for many reasons, the queen thought it most adviseable, that
he fhould march to Dunkirk, unless some objection, unfore-
feen in England, might arife: That his grace fhould with-
draw the queen's forces and ftores, that were in Ghent; and
concert every thing with Villars, and promife him full fatis-
faction for whatever the queen's, forces fhould take of the sub-
jects of France.' The report was then current, that, be- * See the
fore the duke of Ormond declared the ceflation of arms, the Flying-Poft
of July 15,
earl of Strafford went incognito to the French camp, to con- 1712.
cert measures with marshal Villars; and that, amongst other
things, it was agreed, that the British troops fhould make
themselves masters of Ghent and Bruges, whereby they
fhould have the command of the navigation of the Lys and
Scheld, and be able to put an effectual stop to any further
progrefs of the confederate army under prince Eugene, in
cafe the French generals found it impracticable, to relieve
Landrecy. That this was the defign of the duke of Ormond
in bending his march towards Ghent, is highly probable;
but, whether or no the fame was concerted by the earl of
Strafford and marshal Villars, it is certain, that the earl fug-
gested that counsel to the duke of Ormond; nor is it lefs cer-
tain, that the States-general were extremely alarmed at it.

On the 21st of July, N. S. the earl of Strafford, accom-
panied by general Cadogan, having paffed through Tournay
and Lifle (at both which places he was received with great
demonftrations of refpect) joined the British forces at their
camp at Fleurival. The next day in the afternoon, the Bri-
tifh troops moved to Petteghem near Oudenard, and defired
paffage through that town; but the commandant, having nọ
orders about it, thought fit to keep the gates fhut, which oc-
cafioned bitter reflections against the Dutch; but their pre-

Nn 4

caution

Anne, caution proceeded from an apprehenfion, that, if the English 1712. were poffeffed of any of their ftrong towns, they should be compelled to fubmit to the scheme of peace concerted between Great-Britain and France. On the 23d in the evening, the duke of Ormond's army purfued their march to Ghent, of which he took poffeffion, as he did alfo of Bruges. This done, he detached fix battalions to reinforce the garrison of Dunkirk, and sent thither a train of artillery, with fome ammunition; the French having drawn off moft of their cannon from the ramparts. of that place; which, together with the force they had ftill in it, rendered our poffeffion for fome time precarious (1).

(1) That the taking poffef-
fion of Ghent and Bruges was
not only the defire of Torcy,
but was alfo fupported by the
advice of the earl of Strafford,
appears by the earl's letter of
July 17, to Mr. St. John,
where he fays: I am for ha-
ving the duke of Ormond fend
fome party on purpose to march
through fome of their towns, to
fee whether or no they would
refufe them paffage. If they
did, that might authorize us the
more to do a thing very agreea-
ble to the queen's troops, and
what I believe you would ap-
prove of.'
And, that there
might be no doubt of his mean-
ing in what he had advifed, in
another letter of the 21ft of July,
he tells Mr. St. John, The
meafure, I mentioned would not
be difagreeable to you. was,
that of marching to Ghent,
which we have now fo well
executed, that we are within
two days march of it, and the
English are intire masters of the
citadel, as likewife of all the
gates of the town. This is a
Coup de Parti for the States,
who did not expect it, elfe they
could not have behaved them-

It

felves with the Hauteur they lately did. The thing was fo well and fecretly managed, that all preparations were made to march about to Warneton, between Lifle and Ypres, to have lived upon the French country; and, till we marched a day's march on this fide the Scarpe, the Dutch and their friends did not perceive our defign, which, as foon as they did, their furprize and uneafiness were equally great.' Rep. of the Com. of Secr.

How agreeable to the queen and her minifters the duke of Ormond's conduct was, is plain from Mr. St. John's letter to him, acquainting him: That, though the orders, he tranfmitted to his grace in his laft, did appear to her majefly, at that time, to be the most proper, the methods he had purfued were fo rightly judged, and fo well adapted to the prefent conjuncture of affairs, that they answered, in every point, what she would have wifhed. That fhe was unwilling to reftrain his grace, by particular and pofitive inftructions, who made use of the dif cretionary power given him, fo much

so