Fretin; but the ensuing days the assailants improved their works, raised new batteries, and fired with such effect, that on the 17th, in the evening, they were ready to assault the tenaillons. They, however, advanced with great caution, extending their lodgments along the covert-way, and opening new batteries against the outworks and body of the place. On the 18th Marlborough himself visited the attacks, and held a conference with Eugene and the deputies. He was highly dissatisfied with the slowness of the siege, and in a letter to Godolphin heavily censures the misconduct of the engineers.

*

"Sept. 20.-* It is impossible for me to express the uneasiness I suffer for the ill conduct of our engineers at the siege, where I think every thing goes very wrong. It would be a cruel thing, if after we have obliged the enemy to quit all thoughts of relieving the place by force, which they have done, by repassing the Scheldt, we should fail of taking it by the ignorance of our engineers, and the want of stores; for we have already fired very near as much as was demanded for the taking of the town and citadel; and as yet we are not entire masters of the counterscarp, so that to you I may own my despair of ending this campaign, so as in reason we might have expected. I beg you to assure the queen, that my greatest concern is on her account; for as to myself, I am so tired of the world, that were she not concerned, my affliction would not be great.

"When the fate of Lille is once known, we shall endeavour all we can to bring the French to a general engagement; but as that is what we shall desire, I take it for granted it is what they will avoid. Having drawn all the troops they can together, they are stronger than we; and our letters of yesterday from the Rhine assure us, that the elector of Bavaria was to leave the army the next day, in order to drink the waters near Metz; that the troops, Bavaroises and Spaniards, had orders to march for this country; and that the elector was to have his residence this winter at Mons.

"I also enclose a letter and a draught of what has passed at Lille to this day, which I desire you will, with my duty, give to his royal highness; and also let the queen know that I shall do myself the honour of answering hers of the 31st, which I received yesterday, by the next post; for my head aches at this moment so extremely, that I am not able to write any more at this time."

Reply of Lord Godolphin.

"Windsor, Sept. 20. – Oct. 1.. Yours of the 20th, which I received yesterday, gave me more trouble than I can express to you, both upon account of the public, and more particularly from the part I take in so much disquiet and uneasiness, which I am sure you had upon you, when that letter was written.

"I beg of you not to let any misfortune which is occasioned by other

people's faults, prey upon your spirits; for it will make you sick, and you must consider that all good people here, who wish well to the public, look upon your life and health, as not only what has been, but what must, and I hope in God will be, the support of us all. I beg you therefore once more not to neglect either of them; and I choose to send this letter by the way of Ostend, hoping it may come some days sooner to you than by Holland, since by a letter from Mr. Erle of the 27th, I find the communication between that place and your army had been opened; and if we may believe some extracts of letters, which we have seen from thence, of the 30th, the attempts of the enemy to hinder it have been very much disappointed.

"In case this should prove true, and that you find yourself able to preserve this communication with Ostend, you will best judge whether any provisions or ordnance stores, that we could send from hence to Ostend, could either be of use to you, or arrive in time. There are two regiments at Portsmouth, under orders to be sent thither, as soon as transports can be any way had for them."

*

*

*

"Windsor, Sept. 21.I was indeed extremely desirous to let you know, as soon as I any way could, that my greatest concern and uneasiness for the very ill posture of affairs at Lille, which appeared in yours of the 24th, was, lest you should suffer your own mind to be too much affected with it, and let it prevail to the prejudice of your health, which must be the support of all those who really love their country and the public good; and when that is the question, I make no question for my part, but those will show themselves to be the majority in England, though in the mean time nothing appears so much as the ill will of those, who care but little, either for one or the other.

The urgent representations of the duke incited the assailants to new exertions. On the night of the 20th, the works were deemed sufficiently advanced for an attack of the tenaillons, and the assailants were instantly strengthened by 5000 English troops chosen from the covering army. It was resolved to assault at once the counterscarp of the Lower Dyle, that opposite the bastion on the right, and the places of arms between the hornwork, the bastion, the ravelin on the left of the river, and the covert-way, as far as the Port de la Madelaine. Prince Eugene placed himself in an advanced battery, to animate the troops by his presence. The signal being given, they rushed to the attack, The fire was tremendous, and the struggle sanguinary. The assailants giving way, Eugene hurried forward, and rallied those who were retreating. In the heat of the engagement a spent musket-ball grazed his forehead, above his left eye, and struck off his hat, but fortunately occasioned no serious fracture. He was with difficulty persuaded to retire to his

quarter, while the attack was continued. After a terrible conflict, however, the assailants succeeded in establishing themselves on the right of the angle of the left-demi-bastion of the tenaillon, and on the left of the places of arms in the covert-way, opposite to the principal breach. This advantage was purchased with the loss of nearly 2000 men.

On the ensuing morning the British general visited his colleague, and finding him preparing to mount on horseback, and resume his duty, pressed on him to remain in his quarters till he was perfectly recovered. He succeeded only by promising to take on himself the superintendence of the siege, as well as of his own army. The care and anxiety in which this additional command involved him, were increased by the unexpected discovery, that the stores began to fail, and that there was not sufficient ammunition to continue the attack more than four days. He was even importuned to raise the siege, by the Dutch deputies, who were alarmed with the difficulty and expense of the enterprise.

During the confinement of Eugene, Marlborough superintended the siege, with as much activity and vigilance as if he had no other occupation, riding daily from his head-quarters to the approaches, and returning in the evening. On the 23d, in particular, he was in the trenches, when a grand attack was made on the tenaillon, on the left, and part of the counterscarp. He himself issued the requisite orders, animated the troops by his presence, witnessed their successful lodgment in the covert-way, and did not retire till they were masters of the whole tenaillon. A letter written to Godolphin on the ensuing day, will show the weight of his cares and labours.

"Sept. 24. - Since my last, Prince Eugene has received a wound in his head, which I thank God is no ways dangerous; and I hope to-morrow or next day he may be abroad. Ever since Friday, that he was wounded, I have been obliged to be every day at the siege, which, with the vexation of its going so ill, I am almost dead. We made a third attack last night, and are not yet masters of the whole counterscarp; but that which is yet worse, those who have charge of the stores have declared to the deputies that the opiniatrety of the siege is such, that they have not stores sufficient for the taking of the town. Upon which, the prince has desired to speak with me to-morrow morning. My next will acquaint you of what is resolved, but I fear you must expect nothing good. I have this afternoon a letter from Lieutenant-general Erle, from

Ostend. He is ill of the gout. The enemy has cut in three several places the canal of Nieuport, by which they have put that country under water, to hinder our communication with Ostend. However, I shall find ways of letting him know what I desire. I am so vexed at the misbehaviour of our engineers, that I have no patience, and beg your excuse that I say no more till the next post."

Notwithstanding these successes, the efforts of the assailants were opposed with equal spirit by the garrison. To remedy the want of ammunition, which began to be felt in the place, a body of horsemen, each loaded with a sack of powder, were sent by Vendome to cut their way through the besieging force; and though many fell victims to their temerity, they succeeded in carrying such a supply into the fortress, as considerably raised the spirit, and augmented the resources of the garrison.*

In the midst of these operations, Marlborough had the satisfaction to receive a new and flattering proof of gratitude from king Charles. On the first intelligence of the victory at Oudenard, the king eagerly seized the opportunity, not only to repeat his offer of the administration of the Netherlands, but even proposed to grant it for life.

King Charles to the Duke of Marlborough.

"Barcelona, Aug. 8. My lord, duke, and prince; if your letter of June 26th, delivered to me by General Stanhope, had not been very agreeable to me, you may believe, my lord, that I was transported with one which I have received from the duke of Savoy, announcing to me the recent victory at Oudenard. I want expressions to testify the share I take in this new glory, which is added to your skill, merit, and courage. Since all your great actions in this war have had no other object than the recovery of my monarchy, you may judge of my heartfelt gratitude to you for the beneficial effects to my cause, which must result from this glorious victory, not less perhaps than the reduction of my whole monarchy, if you will continue the same vigour in the prosecution of the

war one year more.

"Thus, my lord, it seems that to the hand which has secured the liberty of Germany and the Netherlands, Spain will also owe hers. With this confidence, you will find me, my prince, always willing to renew the patent for the government of my Low Countries, which I sent

* For the contents of this chapter, we are principally indebted to the Correspondence; the Journal of the Siege, in Lamberti, t. v. ; the accounts in Lediard and the foreign biographers, as well as the Memoires de Berwick; Broderick; Milner; Vie du Prince Eugene; and other authorities.

you two years ago, and to extend it for your life. You may depend on the fulfilment of my royal word; and be assured that I will, in conformity with this promise, expedite the despatches, as soon as I am in possession of Madrid. I need not recommend to you the propriety of maintaining this secret, as well from the consideration due to the elector palatine, as from a fear of giving umbrage to the States." *

Many of the duke's letters contain allusions to this grant, which was afterwards repeatedly made. His motives for declining an offer, which he was evidently anxious to accept, were, the fear of offending the Dutch, of acting contrary to the opinion of the British cabinet, and of drawing on himself the importunities of the duchess, by whom it was vehemently opposed. He, however, flattered himself, that at some future period he might enjoy so honourable and lucrative a station; for he observes, in a letter to Godolphin, "This must be known to nobody but the queen; for should it be known before the peace, it would create inconveniencies in Holland, and I beg to assure the queen, that it is not compliment, but real duty, that when the peace happens, if she shall not think it for her honour and interest that I accept of this great offer, I will decline it with all the submission imaginable."

CHAP. LXXIII. CAPTURE OF LILLE.

1708.

As the enemies were completely masters of the route to Brussels, by which the army had hitherto received succours and supplies, it became necessary to open a new channel of communication. For this purpose Ostend offered the only eligible point, and the services of the troops who had been selected for the descent on the French coast were called into action.

This expedition, which in the early part of the campaign had excited such lively hopes, and occupied so prominent a place in the correspondence, had failed in its principal object General Erle, who was chosen for the command, was the most improper officer who could have been selected for an enterprise which required decision, activity, and confidence. On the contrary, his letters prove that he looked rather to difficulty than to success, and that he not only acFrom the French original.