with France than England: this is my positive opinion, but nobody shall ever know it but yourself."*

His friend, the treasurer, alarmed at these strong and repeated objections, laid before him the positive resolution of the Whigs to gratify the Dutch, to which he was apprehensive he should be obliged to accede; he, therefore, earnestly entreated him to waive his objections, and to take the merit of this conciliatory measure, that he might oblige the pensionary and the States so essentially, as to have the absolute power of making peace, which otherwise must depend entirely on them. "And," he added, "this will put it out of every body's power to say that your want of compliance with the States in this point has been a great prejudice to peace."†

No solicitations, however, could induce the duke to accede even to the wishes of the treasurer, in opposition to his own conscientious conviction. A strong remonstrance from King Charles, against the omission of these articles and some other points of the barrier treaty, confirmed him in his opposition, and he thus declared his unalterable sentiment:

"I continue of the opinion that, if the entire monarchy be not in the treaty of the barrier, the duke of Anjou will have some part of it, so that for the queen's honour and interest, and the safety of her minister, I beg you will think well of it before you depart from that article; for I believe it will be next to a miracle if we have another campiagn; and whatever happens on that point, I should think it much more for the service of the queen not to have it appear as if she had willingly consented, as it must be taken by every body, if that article be left out of the treaty of the barrier. I do agree with you, that if the States could be firm, we might in one year more have what we wish from France; but, as I fear Buys and his faction will every day grow stronger, the queen ought to be on her guard, as you see the malice of Harley gives us fair warning to be on ours."

From the reply of Godolphin, we find that the queen fully concurred in the sentiments of the duke; and he adds,

"I must tell you that Lord Townshend, and the lord president, and most of those who are like to have the consideration of this matter, are

* This letter to the treasurer is without date, but was evidently writ ten in 1709, probably in July or August, while the barrier treaty was in agitation.

+ Letter from Lord Godolphin, Aug. 2. o.s.

Letter to Lord Godolphin, Aug. 16.

directly of another opinion. As for myself, I think your arguments are unanswerable; however, this thing has been already so much pressed by Lord Townshend, and in the name of the pensionary, that it is with a good deal of difficulty I have been able to give it any delay; and I expect all those instances should be renewed as strong as ever, upon the arrival of the four posts which are now due. Upon the whole, we must pray heartily for your good success abroad; for at home I begin to be sensible we are to expect all the same difficulties next winter, which we struggled with in the last, and from the same people.”*

In adverting to this information, Marlborough bitterly complains, "that though Lord Townshend is a very honest man, he does not understand the temper of the Dutch, and will probably mislead Lord Somers." Nor does he scruple to regret the warmth of Lord Townshend and his party, adding, "I pray God that they may be in the right, if otherwise, the fault will be laid to the charge of you and me." And in reply to an expression of the treasurer, that without peace all will fall to pieces in England, he justly observes :

"I find by yours of the 14th, as well as a former letter, that you are of opinion that the affairs of England require peace, and yet all the orders of Lord Townshend are full of obstructions. All my hopes are, that France is in so miserable a condition, that when you shall insist only on what is in their power, they must comply. I am entirely of the opinion, that you should by no means oppose what is pressed by Lord Townshend, but I beg you will do nothing of yourself, but let 97† be answerable."

While the treasurer, with his usual deference to the opinion of his friend, was moved by these remonstrances, he was on the other hand assailed by the arguments of the Whigs for the immediate conclusion of the treaty, which they deemed necessary to conciliate the Dutch, as well as to promote the Protestant succession. "I must own," he observes in one of his letters, "I think there is a good deal to be said for both these opinions, and am, therefore, very far from taking upon myself to determine which is the rightest:" yet at this very time he was overruled by the Whigs, and consented to comply with their wishes.

Thus while the treasurer was encouraging the Duke of Marlborough to expect that his advice would be followed,

* Lord Godolphin to the duke, Aug. 11 o. s.

Either the cabinet council, or, more probably, those who were charged with the management of the negotiation at the congress.

and enjoining him to concert with Eugene the project of a treaty between, England, the emperor, and Holland, for the speedy reduction of Spain; and while the cabinet professed to the duke, that instructions should be sent to Lord Townshend, for making similar arrangements with Zinzendorf and the pensionary, he had the mortification to be informed that they acquiesced in Lord Townshend's project, of concluding the barrier treaty, without stipulating for the evacuation of Spain and the razure of Dunkirk. On this intelligence, he sent a protest against the treaty, and could not refrain from candidly expressing his sentiments in a letter to Godolphin.

"Not being upon the place I must not pretend to judge, but from my heart I wish it may meet with no ill consequences, for most certainly there is a very great party in Holland that thinks it their interest to give some part of Spain to the duke of Anjou; and I am afraid the same party are of opinion that the demolishing of Dunkirk is more for the interest of England than theirs."

On the very same day he desired the duchess to represent to the queen his unwillingness to sign the treaty.

66

Aug. 19.- * You will see by a paper I have writ to the lord treasurer, which I desire may not be seen by any body but yourself and the queen; it is necessary she should see it that she might be prepared if possible, that I might not be obliged to sign what I think so very prejudicial to England, and what may meet with such accidents as may prove very troublesome to all those that have given the advice; for it is most certain that Lord Townshend does not judge right in that matter; for as soon as they have obtained their desires in the barrier, they can have no other thoughts or interest but that of making the peace as soon as possible. I dare not write what I think is reasonable on this subject, since our best friends will think that I am partial to the house of Austria; but I call God to witness, that my concern proceeds from the love I have for the interest of my country, and my concern for such of my friends as are now in the ministry."

To Lord Godolphin.

"Aug. 26.- * * ** How far the Dutch may continue firm, I have my doubts, notwithstanding what is written by Lord Townshend, in his letter of the 20th, to Mr. Boyle. I must also continue of opinion, that when the States shall be acquainted with the orders Lord Townshend has received, that he will find them every day more unreasonable in their demands. I wish I may be mistaken, for I have no wish but the queen and my country's service; but I am afraid I shall live to see this proceeding found fault with, since, in all probability, the Dutch will not be contented, unless they obtain some advantage on our trade."

* The barrier treaty. His prediction was verified by the events, for

In consequence of this decided opposition, Godolphin sent full powers to Lord Townshend, by which he was enabled to conclude the treaty, as it was arranged between the English and Dutch cabinets, adding, that when it was signed, the duke would support it, though he had refused to affix his signature. At the same time he announced this determination to Lord Sunderland as one of the Whig chiefs, and declared his opinion that it would not be productive of those fatal consequences which the duke apprehended.*

In conformity with these orders, Lord Townshend signed the barrier treaty alone, and it was afterwards objected to by Swift, who, in his celebrated pamphlet, "The Conduct of the Allies," observes, "this treaty was only signed by one of the plenipotentiaries; and I have been told the other was heard to say, he would rather lose his right hand, then set it to such a treaty."

These instances, among many others, will sufficiently prove that Marlborough did not direct the negotiation, that he differed in many material points from the cabinet, and was guided by positive instructions, which he could not venture to transgress. Had he, indeed, possessed the sole management of affairs in peace and war, he would doubtless have framed such conditions as would have been accepted, or would have made such mighty preparations as would have enabled him to dictate his own terms in the heart of France. In this case, the treaty of Utrecht would not have stained the annals of this deluded and devoted country.†

the treaty was stigmatised by Parliament; Lord Townshend, who signed it, severely censured; and all who advised its ratification declared enemies to the queen and kingdom. See ch. cvii.

Lord Godolphin to Lord Sunderland, Aug. 17.

We regret that the limits of our work will not permit us to introduce more of this interesting correspondence between Marlborough and Godolphin, because it would still more strongly prove that the duke was sincerely anxious for peace, and that he was overruled by the deci sions of the cabinet.

CHAP. LXXX.- SIEGE OF TOURNAY. — 1709.

ALTHOUGH Marlborough was disappointed in his hopes of peace, he yet did not rely so implicitly on the sincerity and apparent distress of France, as to delay the necessary preparations for an early and vigorous campaign. We have seen at the close of the preceding year his efforts to anticipate the enemy, and his anxiety to collect a superior force. The French, however, were equally active on their side, and drawing troops from all quarters, were in a condition to take the field before the allies. Indeed, the very circumstances on which the negotiators had founded their hopes of peace, contributed to rescue the French monarchy from disgrace; for famine and misery drove crowds of recruits to the camp, and verified the unfeeling remark of Louis, that hunger would compel his subjects to follow his bread waggons. An army was thus assembled, scarcely inferior in numbers or appointments to that of the allies. In the place of Vendome, the chief command was conferred on Villars, who had gained high reputation for checking the designs of Marlborough on the Moselle, and who was considered as the most fortunate and enterprising of the French generals, and honoured by the French monarch with the name of invincible.

Notwithstanding the excessive scarcity of provisions and forage, the most active exertions were made in all the frontier provinces to collect necessaries for the army; and early in June the French troops were in motion for the plains of Lens, where they purposed to take a defensive position, to cover the places on the Scarpe and Lys, which they considered as principally menaced.

The rainy weather, as well as the extreme backwardness of the season, prevented the confederate generals from assembling their troops so early as they intended; but, without waiting for the definitive answer of France, they collected the army in the beginning of June. They issued orders to form a camp between Menin and Oudenard, and despatched a corps of twelve battalions and as many squadrons, under the command of Lieut.-general Dompré, to take post at Alost, and to cover Brussels, Having visited the