All this Summer was spent in a great many Marches after the French , to bring them to a Battle, but they Industriously and Artfully declin'd it. The Summer being spent, the King committed the Army again to Prince Waldeck , and went in haste to the Hague . Our Regiment was sent to Garrison at Mechlen , where came the Dutch Foot Guards to Winter also. Count Solmes , as he designed for Holland , took this City in his way, and there he assured a certain English Colonel, who not long before had been check'd by my Lord, about some Disorders in his Regiment, that the Earl of Marlborough had made his Peace with France , and in a short time he would hear, that he would be call'd to an Account for it.
When I went to England that same Winter, my Lord's Appartments were at the Cock-pit . 'Twas fine to see them full of Gentlemen and Officers of all Ranks, as they are now to be seen every Day at his Levee at St. James 's; but no sooner had my Lord Sidney brought him word from the King, that His Majesty had no farther Service for him in the Court, or in the Army, but my Lord was forsaken by all his Shadows, and his House left in a profound Silence.
Now a Person of my Lord's high Posts, especially having been so eminently instrumental in the Revolution, could not be well laid aside from all his Employments, without some Reasons were given to the People for
and Power were in the Hands of such Persons, who seem'd to depress the Fences of the Church, and favour the Dissenters, and their Favourers the Whigs: So 'twas not thought convenient that my Lord should be admitted into their Secrets; upon which they gave him a good Name, and turned him out.
My Lord was no sooner discharged of his Places, but like the old Roman Dictator, with the same calmness of Temper he retired from the highest Business of State, to his Villa in the Country; but he shew'd himself as skilful an Husband-Man, as he had been a Soldier: But here he could not long enjoy the Quiet which he sought, but the same Malice found him here, which had turn'd him from the Court; from hence he was taken and clap'd up into the Tower , where most of Friends thought he would have lost that Head, which has since done so much good to his Queen and Country.
And thus I have shew'd how very much my Lord has been obliged to the Whigs in those Days. The Jacobites at this time were not behind hand with him in their good Wishes, but all they could do, was to Rail and call Names, and so promise their good Nature, when 'twas in their Power.
The King, who was certainly an able Judge of Men, had never time enough to be acquainted with the excellent Merits of this Noble Lord, but he was blasted by His Enemies, before his Virtues were sufficiently made known to Him.
But when several great Men, who were true Lovers of their Country, had fully inform'd his Majesty, that my Lord was always his most faithful Servant and Subject, and most willing to serve Him to the utmost of his Power; and that 'twas pity such an able Man should be laid by as useless and forgotten : My Lord was brought again to the King's nearer Conversation; and after the late Peace, as his Majesty found himself decaying in his Health, and the French King dealing more and more every Day insincerely with him, and his Allies, he chose him again his General, and his Ambassador to the States; and having brought him to Holland , that he might be fully instructed in all the necessary Affairs of both Nations, he recommended him to his Successor, our most Gracious QUEEN, as the only fit Person, whose Spirit might encounter the Genius of France , and strangle their Designs of swallowing Europe .
No sooner had our Sovereign Lady Queen ANNE mounted the Throne, but in concert with her High Allies, she proclaim'd War against France ; and having created my Lord, Duke of Marlborough , she sent him her Plenepotentiary into Holland to the States, and Captain General of Her Forces; and I am sure a great many Officers who had serv'd under him in the former War, were glad to see him once more at the Head of an Army.
In the beginning of this first Year of the War, the French Army, under the Conduct of Mareschal Boufflers , was a little beforehand with us, and came into the Field stronger than ours; some Troops of the Allies having not yet join'd us. The French had coop'd up our Army under the Walls of Nimeguen , and much ado we had, by frequent Skirmishes, to hinder them from investing that considerable Frontier, at that time unprovided by the neglect of the Governour, as 'tis reported, of all warlike Necessaries for the Defence of it. A Man might then see but an indifferent Ayre in the face of our Forces: The States were under great Apprehensions, least the Enemy should penetrate into their Country; and nothing could recover them from their Fears, till his Grace, after three or four Days, had join'd our Army with some additional Troops; upon his Approach we had immediately a new Scene of Affairs; each Soldier seem'd to receive a new Life by the Cheerfulness of their Officers; and he presently assured the Deputies of the States, that the French should be no longer their bad Neighbours, but he would oblige them to March farther off that Country, and that with a Witness. They were like People in a Trance, and could hardly believe that their Affairs had receiv'd so happy a turn; accordingly we march'd, and having passed the Maes , Coasted along that side of Brabant , which lies towards that River, towards the open Country of Mastricht and Luickland , and not long after, almost in Sight of their Army, we opened that noble River, to the great Benefit of the Trade of the Country, having taken from the French the Fortresses of Stochum , of Stevenswaert , of Ruremond , and Venlo , and at last the strong Cittadel and City of Liege , with a vast quantity of Cannon and