A. D. X. The moft Chriftian King fhall 1709. enjoy Allace according to the literal Senfe of the Treaty of Munfter, without extending the faid Right to the Prejudice of the Rights and Prerogatives belonging to the Ten Imperial Cities feated therein. Except the Town of Landau, the Property whereof fhall belong to the Emperor and the Empire. XI. The moft Chriftian King fhall caufe to be demolished at his own Expence the fortified Places he has on the Rhine between Bafil and Philipsburg, namely Hunninghen, New Brijac, and Fort Louis. XII. Rhinfelts to be poffeffed by the Landgrave of Heffe Cuffel, XIII. The Claufe in the Treaty of Ryfrwick about Religion fhall be referred to the Negotiation of Peace. XIV. The moft Chriftian King fhall acknowledge the Queen of Great Britain. XV. He shall also acknowledge the Succeffion of the Crown of Great Britain in the Proteftant Line, as it is fettled by Acts of Parliament. XVI. The moft Chriftian King fhall deliver up to the Crown of Great Britain what France poffeffes in Newfoundland. And all Places taken by either the English or French in the Indies during this War, fhall be restored. XVII. His faid Majefty promifes to cause all the Fortifications of Dunkirk, its Harbour and Rysbanks to be rafed and filled up at his own Expence, fo that one half of the Fotihcations fhall be rafed, and one half of the Harbour filled up within 2 Months, and the other half within 2 Months more. Never to be rebuilt. XVIII. The Perfon who calls himfelf King of Great Britain, shall depart out of France, and retire into fuch Country as by the enfuing Treaty fhall be agreed, &c The Negociation for the Peace being at an end, it was refolved to pro fecute the War with Vigour. The Duke of Marlborough therefore de parted for the Army, and arrived at Bruffels June the 10th, where he met Prince Eugene. The Army confiized of1 10,000 Men, and affembled about Courtray and Menin the 21ft. The French, altho' their Cavalry were wel mounted, and the Infantry well recruited, durft not expofe themselves, but entrenched deep. Our General therefore declined the Attempt of fighting, and fat down before Tear nay. On the 3d of July that Cry was invefted, and three Attacks for med against it. The Trenches were opened the 17th, and the Siege carried on with Vigour. On the 28th of July the Town capitulated, and the Garrison retired into the Cindel; the Siege whereof took up be few Days more before the Garrifes capitulated, and the Articles were agreed upon on the 4th of A. But being fent to the Court of France for Ratification, it was refuted, and fo the Siege was renewed and continued all the Month, but on the d of September it was furrendered. Marthal Villars had the Command of the French Army, to whom was now added Marshal Bouflers, wto arrived in their Camp the 7th of September. The Prince of Hiffe commanded a feparate Army, which the French bad their Eye upon, and were preparing to attack. But our Generals were fo well provided with Spies, that they had Notice of it, and di pofed the Army to prevent them. And at the fame time understanding that Mons was at this time but thinly garrifoned, it was resolved to inder the French throwing more sto it, and to befiege that Town. They difpofed themselves therefore to invest it. But the French Army marching from Valenciennes, got intə a ftrong Camp about three Miles d ftant from Mons, whence it had been offible fo to difturb us, as to prevent the taking of the Place. Our Ge nerals viewed the Enemies Army, and not withstanding their advantagious Situation, concerted the Mehods of attacking them. The French fortified their Camp with fuch Works as render'd it exceffive ftrong, and therefore were able to make a vigo rous Defence. But the Courage of our Soldiery, and the Conduct of our Generals overcame all Difficulties, and after fix Hours Bloody Fight, the Confederates broke through the Entrenchments, and put the Enemy to flight, leaving behind them 16 pieces of Cannon, 301 Officers Prifoners, 26 Colours, and 26 Standards. By intercepted Letters it was lifcovered, that befides the 301 Of ficers taken, they had 540 killed, and 1668 wounded; and of private Soldiers killed, wounded, or taken, 15,001. On the Confederate Side, it appear'd by the Accounts of the feveral Regiments, that of Officers and Soldiers there were kill'd 5547, and wounded 7421. This Battle was fought on the 11th of September N. S. and was called the Battle of Blarignies, or Taifners, or Malplaquet, from three Villages of thote Names feated on or near the Place of Action. The advantageous Situation of the Enemy was fuch, that when our Generals view'd it after the Battle, they were amazed at the Difficulties they had furmounted. And altho' the French fought fo well that 'twas faid they retrieved their Nation's Honour in this Action, yet in an intercepted Letter from an Officer in their Army, fpeaking of the Eugene's and Marlborough's, as he calls them, were thefe Words, What can withstand the rapid Farce of those two famous Heroes! If an Army of 100,000 Men of the bet Troops, pofted between two Woods, trebly entrenched, and performing their Duty as well as brave Men could do, were not able to stop them one Day, On the 21ft of September Mons Nothing was done on the Rhine this Campaign. The Duke of Hanover, who commanded, laid a Scheme of Action, that with Succefs had been of great Moment. Count Mercy was detach'd with a Body of Troops to march round thro' the Skirts of Swifferland into Alface, and attack the French on the back, but it mifcarried; Mercy got thither, but ventured to fight too foon, and was beaten. The Duke of Savoy had fome Demands upon the Imperial Court, which he thought were too long delayed, and therefore refufed to take the Field till he was fatisfied: Her Majefty and the States by their Ambaffadors at Vienna folicited his Caufe, and obtained fuch an Answer as pacified him. This retarded the opening the Campaign on that fide till the beginning of July. But they then behaved themfelves fo well, that the French were driven out of their Entrenchments at St. Maurice, their Lines forced at Conftans, and the Town Annecy taken by the Confederates. In Portugal a Battle was fought at Caya, where the Portuguese Horse giving way, the Spaniards became Matters of the Cannon, to retrieve which the Lord Galway brought up three British Regiments, who pufhed the Enemy and recovered it, but not being fuftained by the Portu guest A. D. 1709. 4.D. guefe were furrounded and made 1709. Prifoners. In Spain, Alicant having been bloc ked up ever fince December, was (after the fpringing of a Mine which the Enemy with prodigious Toil had cut into a Rock under the Caftle) forced to capitulate April the 17th, and the Garrison went on board the British Squadron of Men of War, which was just arrived with a Reinforcement of Men under General Stanhope, but found it impracticable to put them into the Town, But the Duke of Anjou was not able to bring a fufficient Army into the Field on Catalonia Side. For Count Staremberg paffed the Segra on the 27th of Auguft, and took Balaguer with 900 Men in it Prifoners of War. General Stanhope having formed a Defign to furprize Cadiz, put himself on board the Fleet commanded by Sir George Byng at Port Mahon with fome Forces, and failed to Gibraltar, where he expected to have met the Forces fent from England on board the Rear Admiral Baker; but the contrary Winds detained the Fleet fo long that the Attempt was then impracticable. This Summer a large Number of poor People, that were Inhabitants of the Palatinate on the Rhine, where the French Armies had in the laft War destroyed the Country, and in this War miferably impoverified it by Contributions, were invited over by fome Perfons in Power here, and came accordingly. Care was taken of them by a Society of Gentlemen, and by the Queen's Letters Patents, publick Collections were made for them; which raised a confiderable Sum. Several Gentlemen of Eftate and Virtue labour'd in providing for them; and to that Purpose, form'd a Defign of planting them together in Kent, and offer d a very large Sum of Money to purchase Cobham Park, lately belonging to Sir Jofeph Willi amfon, and now to be fold. But the Money, although the full Value, a was refufed; and the Publick be ginning to take great Difpleasure a the Introduction of fo many Beggan among us, when we had already too many Poor unprovided for, the Gentlemen could not make the in tended Provifion for them, and therefore after 2 or 3 Months fut fifting them, Part were fent to Me ryland, Part to Ireland, and the ret diftributed as well as they could be here. November 15, the Parliament d Great Britain met; to whom he Majesty made a moft Gracios Speech: Wherein he took Nourr of the Enemies infidious Pretences of Peace, and defired fuch Supplies as they should think fit. And commended a Stoppage of the Ex portation of Corn, because it raifed the Price exceffively, and thereby gave the Poor occafion to make grievous Complaints. Both Houses addrefs'd her Majefty with great Lo alty and Affection. And voted Thanks to the Duke of Marlberg for the great and important Services he had done the Nation. The Total of the Supplies gran ed this Seffion, amounted to 6,233, 260. for the Service of the Yar 1710. The great Scarcity of Com in France had occafioned the Ven of fo much thither from all the neighbouring Countries, that the Demand to refupply Flanders and Holland, drew great Quantines from hence. This, although a va Advantage to the Nation, for w known that there was fent of it this Year to Rotterdam only to the Valer of 900,000. Sterl. as entred in the Custom-houfe Books there, bende what went to Amfterdam, and to Portugal; yet fince it raifed the Price here, the Poor complain and the Rich in their Favour camour'd, which made it necetiary to top the Exportation. The House herefore, in purfuance of her Majety's Intimation to them, addrefs'd he Queen to lay an Embargo on Corn Ships, and afterwards paffed in Act, to forbid the Exportation of Corn for one Year. guilty, against 52 who voted not And now came on the Confide- The Commons on the 6th of February refolved, That a new Duty of Excise, a Duty upon Raifins, Currants, Pepper, and other Spices, be laid for 23 Years, to raise a Fund for Annuities for that Term at 9 per Cent. Intereft; whereby 900,000 was given to the Service of the Year. And that a Duty be laid upon Candles, and upon Money given with Apprentices for Five Years. All the Publick Bufinefs being finished, the Queen came to the House on the 5th of April, and after paffing the Bills made a moft Gracious Speech, and then the Parliament was prorogued. I omitted to fay, that upon intimation of new Overtures of Peace the House of Commons addreffed her Majefty, that she would be pleafed to fend over the Duke of Marlborough forthwith to the Hague, who departed accordingly on the 19th of February. The Succefs of the laft Campaign intimate, that the French King was kirk, 4. D. 1709. 1709. A. D. kirk. To grant the Dutch Barrier, and the Tariff. And to grant to the D. of Savoy what was demanded. But infifted upon the Reftoration of the Electors of Cologn and Bavaria. This being communicated to the Allies, it was rejected, as being not explicite enough. The French then declar'd, that all the Preliminaries fhould be the Foundation of a future Treaty, and the King appointed the Marshal d'Uxelles and the Abbot Polignac to be his Plenipotentiaries to treat of an Equivalent for the 37th Article, and touching the Evacuation of Spain; who would be ready to meet thofe of the Allies at Antwerp. The Courier that brought this arrived the 2d of February N. S. To which was anfwered, That the Declaration of the Court of France being in uncertain and ambiguous Terms, it was required that the French King fhould declare in plain and exprefs Words, that he confented to all the Prelimi naries except the 37th Article, which done, the Allies would fend Pafports to his Minifters to treat of an Equivalent for the Article. A Satisfactory Anfwer being fent to this, the Paffes were accordingly difpatch'd, and thofe Minifters arriv'd at Antwerp, March the 9th N. S. Whence they went to Maerdyke, and were met by Meffieurs Buys and Vanderdufen. After the Conferences were over the French Minifters were conducted to Gertruydenberg, which was the Place appointed for their Refidence upon their refufing to refide at Antwerp; and the Dutch Minifters went back to the Hague, to report the Conference. The Duke of Marlborough was by this time arrived, and with the Lord Townshend her Majefty's Envoy at the Hague, and Count Zinzendorf the Emperor's Minifter, was prefent when they reported. That the French Minifters endeavoured to perfuade them, that it was the Intereft of the Allies to make a fepa rate Peace with France, exclufive of Spain. And that the French King was willing to enter into the mot folemn Engagements, and give cautionary Towns for performance, that he would not give any Affiftance : his Grandfon. This was the Sum of the many Words ufed by the French at that time. On the 18th of March, the French defiring another Conference, the fame Gentlemen went again. They then propofed fome Schemes of Partition of the Spanish Monarchy. But the Dutch declar'd they expected to hear them propose an Equivalent for the 37th Article, which was the Bufines of this Treaty, and had no Power to talk of a Partition. The Conferen ces were frequently repeated, but with very little advance; the Partiti on was ftill the Subject of the French Propofals, wherein fome Alterations were made. They at firft demanded Naples and Sicily for King Philip, afterward Arragon, afterwards Sinh, Sardinia, and the Places in Tay belonging to Spain. And lastly, Naples and the Tuscan Towns, or e'e the Kingdom of Arragen. Bet! to no purpofe, for the Allies infed upon the Propofals of an Equivalent. In the beginning of May they talk of going, in which they were indulged, but changed their Minds, and defired another Conference, wherein (May the 24th) they fill talkt of the Partition, but being then asked if a Partition were to be treat ed on, what Security would be given for the Evacuation of Spain and the Indies by the Duke of Anjou to King Charles? But they gave no Satisfactory Anfwer. The Conference was renew'd, and the fame Gentlemen went again Jane 15. They then receded from the Places on the Coaft of Tuscany, and would be contented with Sicily and Sardi |