A. C. 1708.

approve the Scheme he had propos'd, and to fe cond, on their Parts, his Imperial Majesty's Efforts, both to reduce the exorbitant Power of France, and to restore his Brother King Charles III. 'to the whole Monarchy of Spain. The manly and nervous Eloquence, with which Prince Eugene exprefs'd himself, was admir'd by all that were prefent; and after he had ended his Difcourfe, the Duke of Marlborough acquainted the Affembly with the Inftructions he had receiv'd from the Queen his Miftrifs, in relation to the Business before them; And at last, mention was made of a feparate Army to be commanded by Prince Eugene. This Conference, which lafted above an Hour, was but a kind of Preliminary; for the States Deputies were not empower'd to make any Anfwer, either to Prince Eugene's, or the Duke of Marlborough's Propofals, but only (according to the ufual Methods obferv'd by that wife Republick) to receive them, and report the fame to their High Mightineffes, which Apr. 16. they did Four Days* after. Several other, tho' N. S. more private, Conferences were held between the Refolutions Duke of Marlborough, Prince Eugene, and the States#hofe Con- Deputies; the Refult of which, was a Mystery, and afforded Matter of Speculation to all Europe, for fome time; but it appear'd afterwards, That it was therein refolv'd, That most of the Imperialifts employ'd the Year before on the Upper Rhine, with the Saxons and Heffians, in the Pay of Great-Britain and Holland, and the Troops which the Elector Palatine was to furnish, in Confideration of his Imperial Majefty's reftoring him to the Poffeffion of the Upper Palatinate, with the Prerogatives enjoy'd by his Ancestors, fhould march into the Netherlands, to act there under Prince Eugene, in concert with the British and Dutch Forces, commanded, in chief, by the Duke of Marlborough, and under him, by Velt-Marefchal d'Auverquerque. Whether Prince Eugene, who took Hanover in his Way to the Hague, communicated then to the Elector of that Name, the Scheme before mention'd, and found him averfe to it; or propos'd other Measures to his Electoral Highness, it was thought fit, That both Prince Eugene, and my Lord Duke of Marlborough, fhould wait on his Electoral Highness, in order to obtain

taken on

ferences.

his

Marlbo

rive toge

his Concurrence to the Refolutions taken at the A. C. Hague. The Duke of Marlborough defign'd to have 1708. gone back to England; but Prince Eugene earnestly intreated his Grace to meet him at Hanover; and the States General having reprefented to the Queen of Great Britain, how neceffary his Prefence was on that fide, and how uncertain the Winds might make his timely Return, now the Seafon was fo far advanc'd; hisGrace refolv'd upon the Journey to the Court of Brunswick, Hereupon Prince Eugene,having finifh'd his Negotiations at the Hague, and confirm'd all Perfons, who had the Honour of his Converfation, in the good Opinion they had of him, set out the 20th of April (N.S.) arriv'd the 22d at Duffeldorp, ended his Bufinefs, the next Day, with the Elector Palatine, and fent an Exprefs thereupon to Vienna; purfued his Journey to Hanover the 24th; and being, Prince Euon the 26th, met Two Leagues from that Place, gene and by the Duke of Marlborough, both their Highneffes the Duke of arriv'd there together, the fame Evening, and a- rough ar lighted at the British Envoy's. The Duke of Marlborough went first to Court, and was foon follow'd ther atHaby Prince Eugene; and the refpective Audiences of nover,and Ceremony, which they had of the Electoral Family, confer with being over, they had, together, a long Conference that Elector with the Elector, who gave Orders for their Accommodation in his own Palace. They continued their Conferences, (at which affifted the Count de Rechteren,on the Part of the States General) the 27th, 28th, and 29th, and met, at firft, with fome Difficulties, which the Duke of Marlborough, and Prince Eugene, very dextrously removed; and tho' his Electoral Highnefs was fenfible, That by the Scheme agreed on at the Hague, for making vigorous Efforts in Flanders, the Army of the Upper Rhine was to be extreamly weakned, and himfelf therefore oblig'd to ftand on the Defenfive; yet he, at laft, condefcended to part with feveral Regiments, and fatis fied with the Laurels he had formerly gain'd, chearfully facrificed to the Common Caufe, the Glory he might have reap'd by acting Offenfively. And here it is to be obferv'd, That tho' it was agreed, that Prince Eugene fhould come into the Netherlands, yet it was induftriously given out, That he was to act, with a feparate Body on the

E3

Mofelle

L

A. C. Moffelle, which oblig'd the Enemy to fend a confi 1705. derable Number of Forces that Way, under the Command of the Duke of Berwick. The 29th of Prince Eu- April (N. S.) in the Afternoon, Prince Eugene fet gene goes out for Leypfick, to confer with King Auguftus, who, to Vienna. was come thither, on purpofe, from Drefden, two

Days before; And his Highness arriving there the 1st of May, and having in few Hours finifh'd his Negotiations, purfued his Journey, the next Day, to And the Vienna. The Duke of Marlborough made no long Duke of Stay after Prince Eugene at Hanover; for his Grace Marlbo- fet out from thence the 30th of April, in the Mornrough to ing, and arriv'd the 3d of May, in the Afternoon, the Hague. at the Hague, where his Grace communicated to

the States General, the Refult of the Conferences held at Hanover; and having concerted, with their High-Mightineffes, further Meafures, for the OpenAnd from ing of the Campaign, fet out the 7th for Ghent, where having review'd the British Forces, he went to Bruffels the 11th.

thence to Bruffels.

The Cam His Grace having conferr'd with Velt-Marefpaign in chal d'Auverquerque, who, in an infirm State of Flanders. Health, preferv'd a vigorous Mind, and feem'd refolv'd to die, like a Hero, in the Field, gave Orders to the Troops to march to Anderlecht, near Bruffels, where, accordingly, the Dutch, Pruffians, and Hanoverians, began to form the Army, the 23d May 26. of May, N. S. Three Days | after, they march d The Confe- to Billinghen, where the Duke of Marlborough took derate Ar- up his Quarters, in the Abby of that Name, and my form'd. the Velt-Marefchal fixt his at Hall, a little Town

that lay in the Front of the first Line. The British Forces that were defign'd to make the Campaign, without any Lofs of Time, repair'd to this Camp, as did a confiderable Body of Troops, in the Service of the States General, drawn from their refpective Garrifons in Flanders; and laft of all, their HighMightineffes Field Deputies arriv'd here, to whofe Prudence, Generofity, and Refolution, the happy the E temy's Succeffes that attended the Arms of the Allies, were, in a great Measure, owing. Upon Notice of thefe Motions, the Duke of Vendofme affembled his Army the 25th, between Mons and St. Giflain, and took up his Head-Quarters at St. Simpronien; from whence he march'd the next Day to Soignies,

As is alfo

posting

A. C.

1707.

pofting his Right at Naift, and his Left at Canchie Notre-Dame, within three Leagues of the Confederate Camp; and there he was join'd, the fame day, by the Duke of Burgundy, who had upon him the Chief, (at least the Titular) Command of the Enemy's Army; the Duke of Berry his Brother, and the Pretended Prince of Wales, who, under the Ro-The Premantick Name of the Chevalier de St. George, tender thought to repair the Difgrace he had lately receiv'd amongst on the Coaft of North Britain; but made an incon-them. fiderable Figure among the Enemy, who never took Notice of him, in any of their publick Accounts of the feveral Actions that happen'd during this Campaign.

Marches

and Coun

On the 29th of May, the Confederate Army, which (d) confifted of 180 Squadrons of Horfe (d) See the Appendix and Dragoons, and 112 Battalions, made a Motion Numb. II. from Bellinghen,advancing the Right to Herfelinghen, the Left at Lembecq, and fixing the Head Quarters at St. Renelle, in Hopes of bringing the Enemy to an Engagement, which, by their bold March to Soignies, they feem'd rather to feek than decline, being fuperior, at least, in (d) Number, to the Allies. termarches The fame Day, the Enemy receiv'd their heavy of Bob ArBaggage from Mons, but fent it back thither the mies. 31ft of that Month; which ftill kept up the Expectation of a Battle in the Confederate Camp; and, thereupon the Duke of Marlborough order'd the Troops to be in a Readiness to march, at an Hour's Warning. The fame Evening, the Duke of Marlborough had Intelligence, That the Enemy's heavy Baggage, upon a Counter-Order, was actually return'd to their Camp; and that they had forraged for Two Days; from whence it was reafonably conjectured, that they did not intend to march the next Day, as fome Deferters had reported. Hereupon the Duke of Marlborough, with theAdvice of the other Generals, refolv'd to fend the Horfe to forrage next Morning; and the Forragers went out accordingly before break of Day; but an Hour after, Advice came, That the Enemy had begun, the Night before,at io, to fend back their Baggage to Mans; and decamped without any Noife, about 11, marching towards Nivelle. The Forragers were immediately recall'd; and, that no Time might be loft, the In

E 4

fantry

A. C.

fantry marched firft of all, about Noon, from St. Re1708. nelle, and were followed by the Cavalry. About Four they form'd four Columns, intending to encamp the Right towards Anderlecht, and the Left to Lake; but upon further Notice, that the Enemy had not encamp'd at Nivelle, but had continued their March by Bots Seigneur Ifaac to Braine la Leu, his Grace judged that they could not have any other Defign than to poft themfelves on the Banks of the Dyle, to hinder the Allies from passing the same, and feize Louvain, which was the very fame Project that the Duke of Vendofme had framed laft Year; whereupon it was thought fit likewife to continue marching all the Night, as the only Means to prévent the Enemy; fo that on the 3d of Fune, in the Afternoon the Confederate Army arrived at the Camp of Terbank, very much fatigu'd, by this long March, and the continual Rains that fell for 24 Hours together. Upon Intelligence of this expeditious Motion of the Allies, the French did not think fit to advance further than Genap, and encamp'd their Right to that Place, and their Left to Brainela Leu; whereupon the Duke of Marlborough took up his Quarters in the Abbey of Terbank; and Monfieur d'Auverquerque, in the Suburbs of Louvain. The 4th of June, feveral Bridges were laid on the Dyle, between Havre and Louvain; the 5th almost all the Confederate Army forraged in the Neighbourhood of their Camp; the 6th being appointed by his Grace, as a Day of Thanksgiving, for the The Duke paft Succeffes of the Arms of the Allies, and to imof Marl- plore a Bleffing upon the prefent Campaign; the borough fame was religioufly obferv'd through the whole reviews the Army; And the Enemy being motionless in their Confede Camp, My Lord Duke, took that Opportunity to rate Army review his Forces, which he began to do the 7th,

and continued the 8 or 9 following Days; and, to his great Satisfaction, found the refpective Bodies very complete, the Men in the best order imaginable, and, flufh'd with their former Victories, eager to engage an Enemy they defpifed.

But tho' the French, (notwithstanding their fhameful Difapointment in the late intended Invafion) had ftill in View, the Recovery of the Places they had loft in 1706. yet they fondly expected to fuc

ceed