fuccefs which attended the English arms on the continent. The house of commons was mostly. made up of the Tory party, and confequently much more liberal in their fupplies, than a Whig parliament would have been. They voted forty thousand feamen, and the like number of land forces, to act in conjunction with those of the allies. was never confidered how little neceflary these great efforts were either to the happiness, or protection of the people; they were exerted against the French, and that was an answer to every demand. Afhort time after, the queen gave the house of commons to understand, that the allies preffed her to augment her forces. The commons were as ready to grant as the to demand, and it was refolved that ten thousand men more should be added to the army on the continent, but upon condition that the Dutch should break off all commerce with France and Spain. The Dutch complied without hesitation; fenfible that while England fought their battles, they might a little relax their industry.

The duke of Marlborough crossed the

A. D. fea in the beginning of April, and affem1706. bling the allied army, refolved to shew that his former fucceffes only fpurred him on to new triumphs. He opened the campaign with the fiege of Bonne, the refidence of the elector of Cologn. This held out but a short time against the fucceffive attacks of the prince of Heffe Caffel, the celebrated Coehorn, and general Fagel. He next retook Huy, the garrifon of which, after a vigorous defence, furrendered prifoners of war. The fiege of Limburg was then undertaken, the place furrendered in two days; and by the conqueft of this place, the allies fecured the country of Liege, and the electorate of Cologn from the defigns of the enemy. Such was the campaign in

the

the Netherlands, which, in all probability, would have produced events of greater importance, had not the duke of Marlborough been reftrained by the Dutch, who began to be influenced by the Loveftein faction, ever averse to war with France.

The duke was refolved in his next campaign to act more offenfively; and, furnished with proper powers from the queen, he informed the Dutch that it was his intention to march to the relief of the empire that had been for fome time oppreffed by the French forces. The ftates general, either willing to fecond his efforts, or fearing to weaken the alliance by diftruft, gave him full power to march as he thought proper, with affurances of their affiftance in all his endeavours. The French king now appointed the marshal Villeroy to head the army of oppofition; for Boufflers was no longer thought an equal to the enterprising duke.

Villeroy was fon to the king of France's governor, and had been educated with that monarch. He had been always the favourite of Lewis, and had long been a fharer in his amufements, his campaigns, and his glory. He was brave, generous, and polite, but unequal to the great task of commanding an army; and ftill more fo, when opposed to fo great a rival. Marlborough, therefore, who was peculiarly famous for studying the difpofition and abilities of the general he was to oppose, having no very great fears from his prefent antagonist; inftead of going forward to meet him, flew to the fuccour of the emperor, as had been already agreed at the commencement of the campaign. The English general, who was refolved to frike a vigorous blow for his relief, took with him about thirteen thoufand English troops, traversed extenfive countries by hafty marches, arrived at the banks of the Danube, defeated a body of French and Bavarians, ftationed at Dona

vert

vert to oppose him, then paffed the Danube with his triumphant army, and laid the dukedom of Bavaria, that had fided with the enemy, under contribution. Villeroy, who at first attempted to follow his motions, seemed all at once to have lost fight of his enemy; nor was he apprized of his route, till informed of his fucceffes. Marfhal Tallard prepared by another route to obftruct the duke of Marlborough's retreat, with an army of thirty thousand men. He was foon after joined by the duke of Bavaria's forces, fo that the French army in that part of the continent amounted to fixty thousand veterans, and were commanded by the two best reputed generals then in France.

Tallard had established his reputation by many former victories; he was active and penetrating, and had risen by his merits alone to the firft ftation in the army. But his ardour often rofe to impetuofity; and he was fo fhort fighted as to be incapable of feeing objects at a very fmall diftance. The duke of Bavaria, was equally experienced in the field, and had still stronger motives for his activity. His country was ravaged and pillaged before his eyes, and nothing remained of his poffetfions, but the army which he commanded. It was in vain that he ient entreaties to the enemy to ftop the fury of their incurfions, and to spare his people; the only answer he received was, that it lay in his own power to make his enemies friends, by alliance or fubmiffion. To oppose these powerful generals, the duke was now joined by a body of thirty thoufand men, under the conduct of the prince Eugene, whofe troops were well difciplined, but ftill more formidable by the conduct and fame of their general. Prince Eugene had been bred up from his infancy in camps; he was almoft equal to Marlborough in intrigue, and his fuperior in the art of war. Their talents were of a fimilar

kind; and instead of any mean rivalship or jealoufy between fuch eminent perfons, they concurred in the fame defigns; for the fame good fenfe determined them always to the fame object.

This allied army, at the head of which Eugene and Marlborough commanded, amounted to about fifty-two thousand men, troops that had long been accustomed to conquer, and that had feen the French, the Turks, and the Ruffians fly before them. The French, as was already observed, amounted to fixty thoufand, who had fhared in the conquefts of their great monarch, and had been familiar with victory. Both armies, after many marchings and countermarchings, approached each other. The French were pofted on a hill near the town of Hochftet; their right covered by the Danube, and the village of Blenheim; their left By the village of Lutzengen, and their front by a rivulet, the banks of which were steep, and the bottom marfhy. It was in this advantageous pofition, that the allied army refolved to attack them. As this engagement, which has fince been known by the name of the battle of Blenheim, both from the talents of the generals, the improvements in the art of war, and the number and difcipline of the troops, is reckoned the most remarkable of this century, it demands a more particular detail than I have allotted to fuch narrations.

The right wing of the French, which was covered by the Danube, and the village of Blenheim, was commanded by marfhal Tallard. Their left, defended by another village, was commanded by the duke of Bavaria, and under him general Marfin, an experienced Frenchman. In the front of their army ran a rivulet, which feemed to defend them from an attack; and in this pofition they were willing to await the enemy, rather than offer battle. On the other hand, Marlborough VOL. IV. D

and

and Eugene were ftimulated to engage them at any rate, by an intercepted letter from Villeroy, who was left behind, intimating that he was preparing to cut off all communication between the Rhine and the allied army. The difpofitions being made for the attack, and the orders communicated to the general officers, the allied forces advanced into the plain, and were ranged in order of battle. The cannonading began about nine in the morning, and continued to about half after twelve. Then the troops advanced to the attack; the right under the direction of Prince Eugene, the left headed by Marlborough, and opposed to marfhal Tallard.

Marlborough, at the head of his English troops, having paffed the rivulet, attacked the cavalry of Tailard with great bravery. This general was at that time reviewing the difpofition of his troops to the left; and his cavalry fought for fome time without the prefence of their commander. Prince Eugene on the left had not yet attacked the forces of the elector; and it was near an hour before he could bring up his troops to the engagement.

Tallard was no fooner informed that his right was attacked by the duke but he flew to its head, where he found a furious encounter already begun; his cavalry being thrice driven back, and rallying as often. He had pofted a large body of forces in the village of Blenheim; and he made an attempt to bring them to the charge. They were attacked by a detachment of Marlborough's forces. fo vigorously, that instead of affifting the main ody, they could hardly maintain their ground. All the French cavalry being thus attacked in flank was totally defeated. The English army, thus half victorious, pierced up between the two bodies of the French commanded by the marshal and elector, while at the fan.e time the forces in the village of

Blen