tion as he had advanced, bewailing at every halt the disappointments which he had undergone, and forming new hopes of more decisive operations.

From Honthalen he wrote, July 26. to Godolphin. "I am but too much of your mind, that the going back to the Meuse is, as the french expression is, a pis aller. But as Cohorn has managed his business for these last six weeks, we had nothing else to do. I know that Huy will make very little noise in the world; however, if we will make the war in this country, it is very convenient for us to have that place. Our superiority is not so great, but that the french may reasonably expect to make us uneasy, when we shall be obliged to divide our forces, as we must do when we make the siege. If they give occasion, I hope we shall venture, by which God may give us more success in three or four hours' time, than we dare promise ourselves.

"That of Antwerp and Ostend have succeeded so ill, that I am afraid of promising, even for Huy; but I shall let you know my thoughts for the remaining part of the campaign, and desire you will let me have your opinion how far I ought to endeavour the executing it; for what I would do cannot be compassed without continuing the campaign as long as ever the season will permit, we having already lost so much time." *

He then states his design, after the reduction of Huy, to force the enemy's lines, or pass the Mehaigne. If they should still decline a battle,

* Honthalen, July 26. 1705.

he purposed to besiege Limburg, and finally to march with a sufficient number of men for the capture of Treves and Traerbach, preparatory to a campaign on the Moselle, which he designed to commence with the attack of Thionville.

Pursuing his march towards the Meuse, Marlborough, on the 15th of August, took up his camp at Val notre Dame, while the enemy moving in a parallel direction behind their lines, established themselves in the position of Wasseige.

CHAPTER 18.

1703.

Political feuds in the english cabinet.-Struggles between the whigs and tories.-Correspondence of the queen, the duchess, and the duke on this subject.-Attempt of the duchess to form a coalition between her husband and the whigs.-Party contentions in Scotland.

WHILE the british commander was agitated by the contending factions in Holland, and the endless jealousies of the dutch generals, which, to use his own expression, "made his life a burthen," his attention was no less distracted with the feuds in the cabinet of England, and the violence of the two hostile parties who divided the parliament and nation, and vied in their censure of his conduct and principles.

We have already shewn that Marlborough and Godolphin, both from habit and principle, had hitherto identified themselves with the tories, and had not cordially favoured the whigs, notwithstanding the support given to the vigorous prosecution of the war. The two friends had indeed manifested a wish to act independently of all party connections, and to entrust the offices of government to moderate, upright, and able men of both denominations; yet in every part of their conduct

we trace a bias towards those with whom they had so long been connected. To this tendency, as well as to the inclinations of the queen, we may attribute the formation of the ministry on a tory basis, with the intermixture of a few whigs, the least distinguished for party zeal and influence.

The majority of the tories, on their admission to power, had warmly professed their attachment to the system of foreign policy adopted by Marlborough, and in particular had pledged themselves to support his vigorous efforts for the diminution of the french power. Their party principles, however, soon regained the ascendancy; and if they did not openly oppose, they secretly thwarted, or at least coldly supported his views. Even in the late session, some of their zealous leaders began to manifest so refractory a spirit, that it was found impossible to carry on the public business, without some alteration of the ministry.

During the preceding winter, Marlborough and Godolphin had deliberated on the most advisable mode of effecting this change. Their principal object was, to obtain the dismission of the earl of Rochester, the great leader of the tories, and the most strenuous opponent of offensive operations, who had assumed a tone of superiority over the other ministers, and attempted to supplant Godolphin at the head of the treasury. The plan which they devised to liberate themselves from so troublesome a colleague, was carried into execution soon after Marlborough returned to the army.

As the near relationship of Rochester to the queen did not permit them to insist on his dismis

sion, they procured an order for him to repair to his government in Ireland. If he complied, his absence would naturally lessen his means of annoyance; if he disobeyed, they expected that the wounded pride of the queen would prompt her to remove him from his office.

The plan succeeded according to their wishes. Rochester at first haughtily refused to quit the political theatre of London, where he was so prominent a figure; and the order being peremptorily repeated, he resigned in disgust. The government of Ireland was conferred on the duke of Ormond, who, to the advantage of high birth, united great popularity, who was acceptable to the queen, and had gained the esteem of his tory friends by compromising the dispute with Sir George Rooke, on the failure at Cadiz. From this moment Rochester became the leader of the discontented tories, and the principal mover of opposition, though several of his adherents still retained their places, with a view more effectually to embroil the measures of government.

Notwithstanding the disgrace of Rochester, a similar spirit was manifested by the earl of Nottingham, secretary of state. He was a nobleman of high honour and unimpeached integrity, as well as of great diligence and capacity, but deeply imbued with tory principles, both in religion and politics. He was at the same time aspiring, presumptuous, and overbearing. Conscious of his influence with the queen, and his political credit, he hoped to become the leader of the administration, and secretly laboured for the removal of