monde and Ghent, forming part of the Imperial dominions, should be included in it. To this both Eugene and Marlborough objected, and the Dutch, in spite, refused to stipulate for the demolition of Dunkirk. So violent an altercation took place on the subject between the Pensionary Heinsius and Marlborough, that it had wellnigh produced a schism in the Grand Alliance. M. de Torcy at first endeavored to mitigate the demands of the Dutch government; but, finding them altogether immovable, he addressed himself privately to Marlborough, offering him enormous bribes if he could procure more favorable terms for France. The offers were 2,000,000 livres (£80,000) if he could secure Naples and Sicily, or even Naples alone, for the grandson of the King of France; and 4,000,000 livres (£160,000) if, in addition to this, he could save Strasburg, Dunkirk, and Landau for France. Marlborough turned away from the disgraceful proposal with coldness and contempt,* but enforced in the most earnest manner on the French king the prudence and even necessity of yielding to the proffered terms, if he would save his country from dismemberment, and himself from ruin. His efforts, however, to bring matters to an accommodation with France proved ineffectual, and, after some weeks spent in proposals and counterproposals, the ultimatum of the allies was finally delivered to the French plenipotentiary by the Pensionary of Holland.† By this ultimatum, Charles was to be acknowledged King of Spain and the Indies, and the whole Spanish of the allies, monarchy was to be ceded by France. All the conjected by quests of Louis in the Low Countries were to be France. given up; the Duke of Anjou was to surrender Spain and Sicily in two months, and if these kingdoms were not then delivered, Louis was to concur with the allies for his expulsion. The barrier towns, so eagerly coveted by the Dutch, were to be given up to them. Namur, Menin, Charleroi, Luxembourg, Condé, Tournay, Maubeuge, Nieuport,

6.

Ultimatum

which is re

*Mémoire M. de Torcy, ii., 104-111.

SWIFT's Conduct of the Allies, 72. CoxE, iv., 395-415.

Fismes, and Ypres, were to be put into the possession of the allies. De Torcy objected to the articles regarding the cession of the whole Spanish monarchy in two months, though he declared his willingness to go to Paris, in order to persuade the French monarch to comply with them, and actually set off for that purpose. On the way to the French capital, however, he was met by a messenger from the French king, who rejected the proposals. "If I must continue the war," said Louis, with a spirit worthy of his race, "it is better to contend with my enemies than my own family." So firmly had it been believed, both at the Hague and in London, that peace was not only probable, but actually concluded, that letters of congratulation poured in on the duke from all quarters, celebrating his dexterity and address in negotiation not less than his prowess in arms. So confident, indeed, was Marlborough that peace would be concluded, that he was grievously disappointed by the rupture of the negotiations; and never ceased to strive, during the whole summer, to smooth away difficul ties, and bring the allies to such terms as the French king would accept. He was overruled, however, by the ministry at home, who concluded the celebrated barrier treaty with the Dutch, which Marlborough refused to sign, and which was accordingly signed by Townsend alone, without his concurrence! And it is now decisively proved by the publication of his private correspondence with Lord Godolphin, that he disapproved of the severe articles insisted upon by the allies and his own cabinet; and that if the uncontrolled management of the negotiation had been committed to him, it would have been brought to a favorable issue on terms highly advantageous to England, and which would have prevented the treaty of Utrecht from forming a stain on its annals.*

* "I have as much mistrust for the sincerity of France as any body living can have; but I will own to you, that in my opinion, if France had delivered the towns promised by the plenipotentiaries, and demolished Dunkirk and the other towns mentioned, they must have been at our discretion; so that if they had played tricks, so much the worse for themselves."-Marlborough to Lord Godolphin, June 10, 1709. COXE, iv., 405.

7.

The rigorous terms demanded, however, by the allied cabinets, and the resolute conduct of the King of France Noble efforts in rejecting them, had an important effect upon the and called for more vigorous efforts on the they had yet put forth, or were

of Louis to

save France.

war,

part of the confederates than even now disposed to make. Louis made a touching appeal to the patriotic spirit of his people, in an eloquent circular which he addressed to the prelates and nobles of his realm. He there set forth the great sacrifices which he had offered to make to secure a general peace; showed how willing he had been to divest himself of all his conquests, and abandon all his dreams of ambition; and concluded by observing, that he was now compelled to continue the contest, because the allies insisted upon his descending to the humiliation of joining his armies to theirs, for the purpose of dispossessing his own grandson. The appeal was not made in vain to the spirit of a gal'..nt nobility, and the patriotism of a brave people. It kindled a flame of general enthusiasm and loyalty. All ranks and parties vied with each other in contributing their property and personal service for the maintenance of the war; and the campaign which opened under such disastrous auspices, was commenced with a degree of energy and unanimity on the part of the French people which had never hitherto been evinced in the course of the contest.* As afterward, in the wars of the Revolution, too, the misfortunes of the state tended to the increase of its military forces. The stoppage of commerce, and shock to credit, threw numbers out of employment; and starving multitudes crowded to the frontier, to find that subsistence amid the dangers of war which they could no longer find in the occupations of peace.t

Forces on both sides at the

Skillfully availing themselves of this burst of patriotic fer8. vor, the ministers of Louis were enabled to open the campaign with greater forces than they had ever collected since the beginning of the war. principal effort was made in Flanders, where the chief danger

opening of the campaign.

The

* COXE, iv., 401.

CAPEFIGUE, Histoire de Louis XIV., vi., 42--46.

was to be apprehended, and the enemy's most powerful army and greatest general were to be faced. Fifty-one battalions and forty-nine squadrons were drawn from the Rhine to Flanders; and this large re-enforcement, joined to the crowds of recruits which the public distress impelled to his standards, enabled the renowned Marshal Villars, who had received the command of the French, to take the field at the head of one hundred and twelve thousand men. With this imposing force, he took a position, strong both by nature and art, extending from Douay to the Lye, the right resting on the canal of Douay, the center covered by the village of La Bassie, the left supported by Bethune and its circumjacent marshes. The whole line was strengthened by redoubts and partial inundations. Never at any former period had France sent such an army into the field; never had she one animated with so enthusiastic and gallant a spirit. The soldiers, equally with the nobles, were aware that this was the last effort for the independence of France. All felt, in the words afterward used by Napoleon at Waterloo, "that the moment had arrived when it behooved every Frenchman to conquer or die."

9.

Marlborough's

efforts to obtain

an augmenta

tion of force in tries.

the Low Coun

Aware of the great augmentation of the enemy's force which was in progress in Flanders, seeing clearly that it was there that the vital point of the contest was to be, and not less convinced of the necessity of re-enforcements to stem the progress of disaster in Spain, Marlborough made the most vigorous efforts to obtain, both from the British government and the allied powers, an increase of forces for carrying on the war. He knew well that the enemy was bringing forth his last reserve; that the ban and arrière-ban of France was in the field; that this was their final effort; and that victory in this protracted struggle would remain with the party in war, as in a battle, which could throw in a reserve, to which the enemy had nothing at the moment to oppose. By dint of vigorous representations, and by still having the majority of the cabinet and House of Commons on his side, though in a minority at court, he suc

ceeded in obtaining a re-enforcement of ten thousand men to the English army; and the supplies voted for the ensuing year reached the unprecedented, and, as it was then thought, enormous amount of £7,000,000 sterling.* But the other powers could not be prevailed on to make any similar additions to their contingents: and so little was the British government aware of the necessity of augmenting the forces at the vital point, that instead of making any addition to their troops in the Netherlands, they proposed to withdraw seven regiments from Antwerp, and send them to Spain. Marlborough expressed, as well he might, the utmost uneasiness at this extravagant proposal: a proposal which shows what so many other events in English history demonstrate, how ignorant its government in general is of the first principles of military operations.*

But all that he could obtain from the British government *CoxE, iv., 351.

t “I received last night the favor of yours of the 7th of January, in which you continue of opinion that the seven regiments at Antwerp should be sent to England. I can say no more on that subject. You will see what the inclosed letter says as to the designs of France. As they draw their troops from all parts to strengthen their army in this country, if we, at the same time, are to be obliged to leave our troops where they can not be of much use, there can be no doubt but at length my Lord Faversham will be gratified by our being beaten, for so great a superiority will undo us. I am of your opinion, that one reason for the enemy marching their troops from all parts so early into this country is in hope they may incline the Dutch to hearken to peace."-Marlborough to Godolphin, Brussels, Feb. 7, 1710. COXE, iv., 372. Again: "I know not what you may reason in England, but I am fully persuaded that it is of the last consequence to have the troops of Wirtemberg and the seven regiments serve in this country in the next campaign; for with those all the troops that we may be able to get for the sum of money voted by Parliament for the troops of augmentation, will fall very much short of the number of men the enemy will have in this country. Is it possible that men of good sense, and that mean sincerely well to the common cause, can be in the least doubt, that if the enemy make their greatest, indeed their only effort in this country, we must do the same, or expect to be beaten! which I pray Almighty God to avert, for it would be a fatal blow. If any orders have been sent for the march of these seven regiments, I do most earnestly beg you will lay before her majesty and the lords of the cabinet my apprehensions."-Marlborough to the Lord Treasurer, Brussels, February 11, 1710. CoXE, iv., 372.