of this campaign,' he said, ' is solely due to this incomparable chief, since I confess that I, serving as second in command, opposed in all circumstances his opinion and proposals.' No panegyric can equal this candid avowal. It is alike honourable to the general by whom it was made, and to him whom no obstructions could divert from the accomplishment of his beneficial designs." Vol. I. p. 147.

'The queen availed herself of the satisfaction universally expressed at the conduct of the campaign, to confer a dukedom on the successful commander: and it is amusing to observe the various ways taken by both Marlborough and his wife, to obtain the addition of substantial wealth to the unprofitable title. A specimen of the insatiable avarice of the dutchess and of her husband, is afforded by the fact, that Anne having settled 5000l. a year on Marlborough, out of a disposable fund, wished to add to it a pension of 2000. from the privy purse; this was firmly declined; but on the disgrace of the dutchess, it was claimed and received, together with the whole of the arrears from the time when it was offered and rejected. During his stay in England, we find Marlborough giving his warm sanction to the detestable bill for preventing occasional conformity, intended to weaken the influence of the whigs, by depriving them of the support of the dissenters, who then, as now, threw their interest into the scale of that party which advocated the most liberal principles. This tyrannical measure was, of course, affirmed by its favourers, to be perfectly compatible with civil and religious freedom, and the act was prefaced with the usual quantum of hypocritical profession.

"In the preamble persecution was disclaimed, and the principles of toleration warmly asserted; but the provisions of the act were not the less severe, and indeed were calculated to exclude all, except zealous churchmen, from every office

of trust or honour. Even the privilege of freedom in corporations was taken away. As if to increase the hardship of exclusion, no time was limited for giving information against offenders, no rule laid down to define the nature of the offence, and the penalties were so severe as in many cases to threaten utter ruin." Vol. I, p. 158.

"The attempt failed; it passed the commons, but encountered the most vigorous opposition in the house of lords. But all the schemes of ambition were for a season suspended in the mind of Marlborough, by the loss of his only son, a promising youth of seventeen, who died on the 20th February, 1703. This was a most severe stroke: it wounded him not only in his affection, but in his ambition, since it deprived him of the hope that a regular succession might perpetuate in his family his name and honours. Long after this heavy affliction, we find him reverting to it. The following letter to the dutchess, dated August 2, 1703, we cite as a specimen of his domestic correspondence.

""I have received yours of the 23d, which has given me, as you may easily believe, a good deal of trouble. I beg you will be so kind and just to me, as to believe the truth of my heart, that my greatest concern is for that of your own dear health. It was a great pleasure to me when I thought that we should be blessed with more children; but as all my happiness centers in living quietly with you, I do conjure you, by all the kindness I have for you, which is as much as ever man had for woman, that you will take the best advice you can for your health, and then follow exactly what shall be prescribed for you, and I do hope you will be so good as to let me have an exact account of it, and what the physicians' opinions are. If I were with you I would endeavour to per-suade you to think as little as is possible of worldly business, and to be very regular in your diet, which I should hope would set you right in a very little time, for you have natur

ally a very good constitution. You and I have great reason to bless God for all we have, so that we must not repine at his taking our poor child from us, but bless and praise him for what his goodness leaves us; and I do beseech him with all my heart and soul that he would comfort and strengthen both you and me, not only to bear this, but any other correction that he shall think fit to lay on us. The use I think we should make of this his correction is, that our chiefest time should be spent in reconciling ourselves to him, and having in our minds always that we may not have long to live in this world. I do not mean by this, that we should live retired from the world; for I am persuaded that by living in the world, one may do much more good than by being out of it, but at the same time to live so as that one should cheerfully die when it shall be his pleasure to call for us. I am very sensible of my own frailties; but if I can be ever so happy as to be always with you, and that you comfort and assist me in these my thoughts, I am then persuaded I should be as happy and contented as it is possible to be in this world; for I know we should both agree next to our duty to God, to do what we ought for the queen's service."' Vol I. pp. 170, 171.

'The campaign of 1703 was opened by the French, under many advantages. They still occupied their commanding posts in Germany and Italy; and though they had been foiled, and driven back, by Marlborough, on the Meuse, yet they had sustained no defeat; their army was unbroken, and their resources were entire. Had the British general's hands been unfettered, he would, in all probability, have soon compelled the French army to retreat; but the selfish, captious, and perverse conduct of the Dutch generals, again compelled him to waste the campaign in sieges. In the mean time, he was under the necessity of carrying on a different kind of warfare in England. The ministry were divided; the more decided tories, with Rochester and Nottingham at their head, were averse from the grand schemes of continental exertion, D d

VOL. II.

which were promoted by Marlborough and Godolphin. Rochester was dismissed, and the duchess, who was a clamorous whig, was persevering in her efforts to persude her husband to connect himself with the party which she preferred. Harassed and exhausted by all these intrigues and differences, Godolphin and the duke, either in earnest or in menace, began to hint an intention of retiring. The following letter from the queen, is in answer to a threat of this kind. It may be necessary to apprize some of our readers that in Anne's private correspondence with the duchess, she was accustomed to adopt the name of Morley, while Mr. and Mrs. Freeman denote the duke and his wife, and Mr. Montgomery stands for Godolphin.

""The thoughts that both my dear Mrs. Freeman and Mr. Freeman seem to have of retiring, give me no small uneasiness, and therefore I must say something on that subject. It is no wonder at all that people in your posts should be weary of the world, who are so continually troubled with all the hurry and impertinencies of it; but give me leave to say you should a little consider your faithful friends and poor country, which must be ruined if ever you put your melancholy thoughts in execution. As for your poor unfortunate faithful Morley, she could not bear it; for if ever you should forsake me, I would have nothing more to do with the world, but make another abdiction; for what is a crown when the support of it is gone. I never will forsake your dear self, Mr. Freeman, nor Mr. Montgomery, but always be your constant and faithful friend, and we four must never part till death mows us down with his impartial hand."

'The campaign closed under the most gloomy prospects, and it appeared probable, that another year would enable the French monarch to break up the confederacy, by compelling the emperor to sign a treaty of submission under the very walls of Vienna. The Hungarian insurrection was gaining

ground; the Bavarians were in full strength on the Danube; Villars had secured the defiles of the Black Forest; and the house of Austria seemed on the very verge of the lowest humiliation. It was under these circumstances that the English general planned and executed that admirable scheme which changed the fortunes of the war, gave Austria a breathing time, and commenced that series of triumphs, which made the name of Malbrouk as great a terror to France, as that of Richard had been to the Saracens. In April, 1704, he quitted England for this brilliant service, and soon after his departure, Nottingham was compelled to resign his office in the administration; a step which though it was immediately conducive to the success of the great plans of Marlborough, yet ultimately led to his fall, since it introduced into the more important offices of government, Harley and St. John.

"Many of the zealous whigs were highly offended at these appointments, which they regarded as a slight to their party: and their complaints were imparted to Marlborough by his son in law, lord Sunderland. But he had still more vehement expostulations to encounter from his duchess. She depicted the attachment and zeal professed by Harley, as mere artifices to clothe his consummate subtlety; and her keen sagacity equally discovered the insatiable ambition and party zeal, which in St. John was cloaked with the appearance of unaffected candour, and careless vivacity. She conjured her husband to moderate his confidence towards two statesmen whom she regarded as doubtful friends, if not dangerous enemies. Marlborough, however, neglected these warnings, from the honourable motive of regarding merit and abilities in the choice of his confidents, and from a native magnanimity of character, which was as unsuspicious as it was itself above suspicion. He thus unconsciously prepared the way for his subsequent mortification and final disgrace." Vol. I. p. 233.