A. D. next Day the Lord Dartmouth was 1710. appointed to fucceed him. On the 8th of Auguft the Staff of Treasurer was taken from the Lord Godolphin, and that Office put into Commiffion. And finally, Sept. 21. the Parliament was diffolved. The fame Day the Earl of Rochester was made Prefident of the Council in the place of the Lord Sommers. The Duke of Buckingham Lord Steward of the Houfhold in place of the Duke of Devonshire. And Henry St. John, Efq; Secretary of State in the room of Mr. Boyle. The Lord Cowper about the fame time refigned the Great Seal, which was for the prefent given to Commiffioners. And on the 26th of September a Proclamation was published for calling a new Parliament to affemble Novem ber the 25th.

On the 19th of October the Duke of Ormond was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; and Sir Simon Harcourt Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. Her Majefty having nominated Dr. Robinfon, Dean of Windfor, to fucceed Dr. Hall deceased, in the Bishoprick of Bristol; and Dr. Bifs to fucceed Dr. Bull deceased, in the Bishoprick of St. Davids, thofe two Lords were confecrated November the 19th.

The Elections were carried on with great Warmth every where, but the High Church Party generally prevailed; and very many Gentlemen of great Intereft in the Country, loft their Elections by being efteemed Whigs.

Nov. 25. The Parliament met, and the Commons having chofen William Bremly, Efq; Speaker, he was prefented the 27th. Her Majefty, in her Speech, recommended to them the carrying on the War in all its Parts, especially in Spain, and to that purpofe asked the neceffary Supplies; mentioned the Debts of the Navy, and other Offices, and

urged the Juftice of fatisfying Par liamentary Engagements. Declared her own Affection to the Church of England and British Conftitution, and her Refolution to maintain the Toleration, and the Proteftant Sto ceffion.

The Total of the Supplies grant ed this Seffion amounted to 6,60%295 1. To which was afterwards 23-y ded, for several extraordina Charges of the War, 292.369/ A for the Relief of the Inhabitants e Nevis, where the French had maz great Deftruction the laft Yea 103003 1.

About the latter end of Jansy her Majesty was pleated to contr tute the Duke of Argyll Commander in Chief of her Majefty's Force in Spain, and Sir John Leak Con mander in Chief of her Majesty Fleet.

The Dutchess of Marlborough having furrendered her Places, her Ma jetty was pleafed to appoint the Dutchefs of Somerset Groom of Stole, and Mrs. Maffam (that Mrs. Hill, who was married to L Maffam, Son to Sir Francis Maga Privy-Purse.

On the 8th of March happen an Accident that very much alre the Publick. A French Man, was called the Marquifs de Guike had fome time ago deferted Service of France, and had b employed in the intended Exped on upon France in 1706, and afterwards in Spain, whence by th King's Recommendation he are to England, and had been allows a Penfion. It was difcovered th this Perfon kept a Correfpondens with the Enemy, and therefore was feized, and brought before t Committee of Council. Mr. Ha who was now one of the Lords the Treafury and a Privy-Confec was prefent, and was the Perion of whom this Mifcreant wreaked ho

icked purpofe; for when his Let Its were produced, which manited his Guilt, he pulled out a enknife from his Pocket, and ftabed him All the Company immeately drew their Swords upon the riminal, and he was wounded in veral places, of which he afterards dyed in Newgate. Mr. Har's Wound was happily not mor1, for the Penknife ftruck against Rib and broke; but it however ept him laid up for Five Weeks. Then he came abroad he was comimented by the Speaker in the oufe, and not long after, that is lay 24th, her Majelty was pleafed create him a Peer, by the Title Baron Harley of Wigmore, Earl Oxford, and Earl Mortimer. To hich her Majefty added the Digty of Lord High-Treafurer, to hich Office he was nominated lay the 29th.

On the 28th of April the Maruifs of Kent was created a Duke. On the 12th of June the Queen ame to the House, paffed the Bills, nd made a most gracious Speech; nd then the Parliament was proogued to the 10th of July.

The Advantages obtained in the preceeding Campaign in the Nether ands, by the taking of Dowy, Bethune, Aire, and St. Venant, and the Difpofitions made for taking the Field early in the Spring in 1711, made People believe, that Arras, or another confiderable Frontier of France, would be invefted by the middle of April, and no doubt but this was the Defign of the Duke of Marlborough; but the Unfeafonableness of the Weather, the unexpected Delays of the March of fome Troops, and fome other Dif ficulties, did not permit his Grace to form his Army till the 30th of April at Orchies, between Lifle and Doway. The Duke the next

Day paffed the Scarpe, and incamped between Doway and Bouchain, but found the Enemy, who by the Delays aforementioned had a fufficient time to affemble their Troops, incamped with a numerous Army behind the Sanfet, in a most advantageous Poft, which was judged inacceffible. His Grace expected there the rest of the Troops which were to form his Army, and the Arrival of Prince Eugene of Savoy; who had been detained at Vienna, and in the Empire, by reason of the Death of the Emperor Jofeph, who departed this Life the 17th of April, N. S. This difmal and unexpected Accident obliged the Prince of Savoy to ftay fome Days about Franckfort, to concert with the Elector of Mentz, the neceffary Measures for the Security of the Empire, and view the Lines and other Pofts. His Highness having given fuch Directions as he thought convenient, proceeded to the Court of the Elector of Palatine, to regulate feveral Matters with that Prince (who, as one of the Vicars of the Empire, was to have the chief Adminiftration thereof during the Interregnum) and arrived at the Hague the 5th of May, where he was obliged to continue for fome time, fo that he did not join the Duke of Marlborough till the 21ft of the fame Month. Thofe Princes refolved to continue in the Camp as long as poffible, in hopes that the Scarcity of Forage would oblige the Enemy to decamp; for after the feveralAttempts that were made at the Pott of Arleux, which was taken and retaken, there was no Likelihood of forcing their Lines.

Mean time the French hoping that the Elector of Bavaria had many Friends in the Empire, who would declare for him, and believing that the Germans being deprived of their Chief would hearken to a Neutra

Kk 4

lity,

lity, if that Elector appeared in Germany at the Head of a powerful Army, refolved to fend him thither, and in order thereunto reinforced their Army on the Rhine, from their Garrisons on the Maeze and Mozelle, and likewife from their Army in the Netherlands; for Monfieur de Villars thought his Lines fo fecure and impenetrable, that he believed he might fpare a great Body of Troops, and boafted that his Lines were the Ne plus ultra of the Duke of Marlborough. Thofe Lines begun at Bouchain on the Scheld, and were continued along the Sanfet and the Scarpe to Arras, and from thence along the Upper Scarpe and the Rivers Ugy to the Canche, the Opening between thofe Rivers being intrenched and fortified, with all poffible Care, by a large Ditch, defended with Redoubts and other Works. Thefe Preparations of the Enemy alarming the Empire, Prince Eugene received pofitive Orders to march with the Imperial and Palatine Troops to the Upper Rhine, for fecuring Germany; and accordingly the two Armies decamped from the Camp afore-mentioned, the 14th of June, and repaffed the Scarpe, Prince Eugene taking his Way towards Tournay, and the Duke of Marlborugh marching towards the Plain of Lens, in Sight of the French, who did not offer to infult his Rear. His Grace continued there till the 20th of July, when he advanced towards Aire, to make the Enemy believe, that he defigned to befiege St. Omer, or attack their Lines on that Side. This obliged the Marefchal de Villars to reinforce the Garrifon in that Place, and to draw all his Troops to defend his Lines between the Scarpe and the Cantke, which both Armies believed his Grace defigned to attack, because of the Preparations he had made. The Army

encamped at Villars Brulie in the Beginning of Ausuft, and on the 4h, by Break of Day, the Duke vanced with a great Detachment të take a nearer View of the faid Lits: and being returned to his Camp, ordered Fafcines to be provides, and made fuch other Difponitions, as confirmed every Body that he Defign was against the Lines. The : Army had Orders to march aber | Nine of the Clock at Night, but s foon as they were in Motion, s Grace put himself at the Head e the Horfe of the Left Wing, :, marched back towards the Sar with fo much Diligence, being t towed by the rest of the Army, th having pafled the Scarpe at Fitr, Five of the Clock the next Morring, he marched directly to fupper. the Detachment from the Garnice of Doway, which had already pa fed the Sanfet, and was joined there by the rest of his Army, waich, without the Lofs of one Man, gət by that well manag'd Stratagem into the formidable Lines of the Ere my. The Marefchal de Villars, being fenfible of his Mistake, uled:. imaginable Diligence to retrieve and advanced with his Army, me king a Shew as if he designed attack the Allies, while he was ens ing Troops over the Sebeld at Cen bray to poft themselves between tha Place and Bouchain, to prevent t Siege of the laft Place; but the Duke of Marlborough suspecting B Defign, and the Siege of B being refolved upon in a Conca ef War, paffed the Scheld, and cared that Place to be invested, and the Lines of Circumvallation to be made, though in fome Places they were expofed to the Cannon of the Town, and the Batteries of French Army, and to be contre from the Sanfet to the Upper d through a Morafs and Inundra, which was thought impractical,

The Trenches were opened the 18th Auguft, and the Garrison furren ered Prifoners of War the 12th of eptember, in the Sight of Monfieur Villars. Iwith an able Pen may referve to Pofterity, a true Relaon of the March of the Confedeate Army, their paffing the Lines, nd the Siege of Bouchain, with all he Difficulties that attended the me; for it is justly accounted one the most glorious Atchievements this War, and undeniably fhewth, that the General who performthe fame, knows as well how to educe the ftrongest Fortreffes, as rout the most numerous Armies 1 the Field.

The taking of Bouchain ended he Campaign in the Netherlands, nd it being not thought fit to exofe the Infantry to the Fatigues of new Siege in that late Seafon of he Year, the Duke of Marlborough ropofed to quarter all the Troops pon the Frontiers, that they might e able to hinder the Enemy from naking new Lines in the Winter, nd form their Army early in the Spring, without being fatigued vith long Marches; but how this Propofal of his Grace was not fully complied with, is not our Bufinefs ut this Time to enquire, neither hall we enlarge on the great Advantages of this Conqueft for the further Profecution of the War againt France, referring the Readers to the Letter the Field Deputies of the States wrote to their High Mightineffes immediately after the reducing of Bouchain.

The Arrival of Prince Eugene, with the Reinforcements afore-mentioned, difappointed the Defigns of the French against Germany, and fo they gave over the Thoughts of invadng that Country, and had recourfe o their ufual Artifices to gain fome Members of the Empire; but the letors, encouraged by the Re

commendations of the Queen of Great-Britain and the States, reject ed thefe Offers, declaring their Intention to elect King Charles for Emperor, and without any Regard to the Request and Proteftations of the late Electors of Cologn and Bavaria, tho' fupported by the French and the Pope, unanimoufly elected on the 12th of October his Catholick Majefty Emperor of the Romans, by the Name of Charles VI. That Prince having given the neceffary Directions for the Regency of Catalonia, which he left to his Queen, imbarked on board the Confederate Fleet the 27th of September, arrived at Vado the 7th of October, landed the 12th at Genoa, fet out from thence the fame Day, had the 13th an Interview at La Cava with the Duke of Savoy, and arrived at Milan the fame Day. His Majefty received there the News of his Election, was complimented by Cardinal Imperiali Legate a Latere, was acknowledged by the Republicks of Venice, Genoa, and Luca for King of Spain, afterwards fet out for the Empire, made his Publick Entry into Frankfort the 19th of December, and was crowned Emperor the 22d in that City in great Solemnity.

As foon as the Election of that Prince was over, Prince Eugene fent the Imperial Forces, and thofe of the Empire into Winter-Quarters, without being able to make any Enterprize against the Common Enemy; for notwithstanding the Troubles of Hungary, which had proved a fatal Diversion to the Imperial Forces, were pacified in April, yet they could not make any Detachments from thence to reinforce the Imperial Army for want of Moncy, and by reafon of the War that broke out the laft Winter between the Czar and the Turks, which obliged the Court of Vienna

to