do not scruple to declare themselves invincible, when the king is at their head. * * * "I have received the honour of your highness's letter of the 28th of December, and read it to the king, my master. His majesty orders me to assure your highness, that he is fully convinced of your good inclinations, but he refers to your own judgment, if he can prudently send away his troops at a time when he cannot penetrate the designs of the king of Sweden, nor foresee the effects which may result from the abdication of King Augustus. He requested your highness's opinion; and convinced as he is of your sincere affection, will listen with pleasure to your advice, well aware that his interests are indissolubly blended with those of the queen. "P. S.-Mr. Pratt is arrived from the court of Sweden, and his majesty is satisfied he has nothing to fear from that quarter.”* For the same purpose Marlborough maintained an intimate correspondence with the elector of Hanover, from whom he received repeated declarations that the king of Sweden was by no means inclined to favour the cause of France. The other allies were, however, too much alarmed, to be satisfied with indirect assurances, even from so high and respectable a quarter; particularly as reports were hourly circulated, that Charles was on the point of concluding a subsidiary treaty with Louis; and not only meditated the restoration of the elector of Bavaria, but was preparing to kindle a civil war in the empire, and consolidate the revolution in Hungary. Marlborough, therefore, was importuned by his friends in England and Holland, and above all by the court of Vienna, to visit the Swedish monarch, and penetrate his designs. In this dilemma he recurred to the advice of the elector of Hanover, expressing his readiness to undertake the journey at his recommendation, and requesting information on the best means of gaining the Swedish ministers. The elector, in answer, not only intimated his acquiescence, but hinted that an annual pension of 2000l. should be granted to Piper, and 1000l. to Hermelin, and the first year paid in advance. If he could not himself undertake the journey, he recommended that this negotiation should be intrusted to the British envoy, Mr. Robinson, the confidential friend of Count Piper.† *Translated from the French originals. + Letter from the elector to the Duke of Marlborough, March 18. 1707; Macpherson, v. ii. p. 90. Considering, however, the shortness of time, and the neces sity of maturing the military preparations, Marlborough left London in a state of hesitation. While he was detained at Margate by contrary winds, we find several letters proving the perplexity in which he was involved by this critical situation of affairs, and the general reliance placed on his interposition. As the object of more immediate interest was to induce Charles to suspend his offer of mediation, Marlborough opened a correspondence on that subject through Mr. Robinson. His first idea was, to conduct the negotiation by the agency of some confidential person, and draughts of letters to the king of Sweden and his ministers were transmitted to the cabinet. The method was approved with some trifling alteration; but the more he reflected on the delicate and arduous task, the more he felt the necessity of a direct and efficient application. He deemed it imprudent to consign to writing instructions of so delicate a nature as it was necessary to employ. He discovered also that he had not merely to soothe the high spirit of the king of Sweden, but to satisfy the emperor, who considered his dignity as humbled; and the Dutch, who apprehended that any engagement with Sweden, or any acknowledgment of Stanislaus as king of Poland, might eventually implicate them in a new contest. His resolution was finally decided by a declaration of Charles, that he would treat with no other person except with the Duke of Marlborough.* This proposal being warmly approved by the cabinet, he announced his intention through Mr. Robinson, under the condition of the strictest secrecy; and on his arrival at the Hague, prepared for his journey. In Holland he first communicated his design privately to the pensionary, and afterwards to the deputies from Holland and Friesland, assembled at the Hague, leaving the communication to the other provinces to be made after his return. He gave an account of this delicate transaction to the treasurer, in a confidential letter, dated Hague, April 9–20. "After four tedious days I got to Helvoetsluys, and with difficulty made these people easy as to my journey to Saxony; but as to the acknowledging of Stanislaus, and the guarantee of the peace, they dare * Lediard, vol. ii. not give me any powers, without the consent of the States, and for that the form of the States does require their sending to the provinces which would require too much time. But the truth is, they are unwilling to come into the acknowledging and guarantee for fear of disobliging the czar. "Since my being here I have received letters from Vienna, by which I see they persist in the expedition for Naples, and at the same time they complain of the king of Sweden. I find that the behaviour of the French has given occasion to these people to wish heartily for good success in this campaign. "In two conversations I have had with M. de Buys, he has been very plain in telling me that he should think it a very good peace, if we could persuade the duke of Anjou to be contented with Naples and Sicily. I am afraid there are a great many more in Holland of his mind; but as we are very sure, I think, of making this campaign, there may be many alterations before winter. "The ambassador of Muscovy has been with me, and made many expressions of the great esteem his master has for her majesty; that he would do every thing to merit her friendship, and, as a mark of it, he had resolved to send his only son into England; but he desired nobody but the queen might know it, since he must pass incognito through several countries. He is also very desirous of the honour, as he calls it, of the queen's appointing him a house. As it can be of no precedent to any country but their own, and as the expense is so very inconsiderable, I hope her majesty will do it; for it is certain you will not be able to gratify him in any part of his negotiation. "I have undertaken this journey to Saxony to comply with the great desire of our friends; but I own to you that the pensioner and Slingeland have shown me several intercepted letters, which have been deciphered, that show very plainly that almost all about the king receive French money except Count Piper. "The agreement for 3390 foot and 1125 horse is almost concluded with the Saxon ministers. Mr. Secretary will have a particular account of it from Mr. Stepney. The 70,000 crowns that are to be given, to put them in a condition to march, must be speedily paid, for the troops can't march till one month after the payment. I have this afternoon received a letter from the king of Spain, of the 6th of March, concerning some employments in the Low Countries. He also tells me that he is resolved to go to Barcelona for some short time, till his presence may be necessary in the army. I have not time to have his letter copied, but by my next you shall have it. I have left orders that the first letters that come from England should be sent after me, there being now six posts due." CHAP. LV.-MISSION TO CHARLES XII. — 1707. SATISFIED With the partial acquiescence of the Dutch, Marlborough hastened his military arrangements, and taking his departure from the Hague on the 20th of April, traversed Osnaburg in his way to Hanover. He reached that capital on Sunday, the 23rd, and spent the remainder of the day in visits of respect to the electoral family, and private conversations with the elector. At four, the ensuing morning, he resumed his journey, and passed through Halberstadt to Hall, where he was met by Count Zinzendorf, by Cranenburg the Dutch minister, and by the British envoy Mr. Robinson. After a short, but interesting conference, he proceeded in the evening to the camp, at Alt Ranstadt, accompanied by Mr. Robinson and Cranenburg. His grace immediately drove to the head-quarters of Count Piper, with whom he held a conversation of an hour, and from whom he received assurances that the king was highly gratified with his arrival. In this interview he gained the confidence of the minister, acquired considerable insight into the character and views of the monarch, and arranged the mode in which he was to treat on the subjects of his mission. The time of his audience was fixed at ten the ensuing day, after the king had attended divine service. He then repaired to the quarters assigned to him, which were about half a league distant from those of the king. Early on the 28th Count Piper conveyed the duke in his carriage to the royal head-quarters; and he was immediately introduced into the cabinet, by the minister, accompanied by Mr. Robinson, who acted as interpreter. He found the king surrounded by his senators and generals, and was received with becoming marks of regard and attention. Presenting letters of credence from the queen and the prince of Denmark, he made a short compliment in English, which was interpreted by Mr. Robinson. "I present to your majesty," he observed, "a letter, not from the chancery, but from the heart of the queen, my mistress, and written with her own hand. Had not her sex prevented it, she would have crossed the sea to see a prince admired by the whole universe. I am in this par ticular more happy than the queen, and I wish I could serve some campaigns under so great a general as your majesty, that I might learn what yet want to know in the art of war. This flattering address from so illustrious a commander pleased the monarch, whose foible was a passion for military glory. His satisfaction was visible in his countenance, and he returned, through Count Piper, an answer unusually gracious. "The queen of Great Britain's letter and your person are both very acceptable to me, and I shall always have the utmost regard for the interposition of her Britannic majesty, and the interests of the Grand Alliance. It is, likewise, much against my will if I have been obliged to give the least umbrage to any of the parties engaged in it. But your excellency cannot fail to be convinced that I had just cause to come into this country with my troops. On the other hand, you may assure the queen, my sister, that my design is to depart from hence, as soon as I have obtained the satisfaction I demand, but not sooner. However, I shall do nothing that can tend to the prejudice of the common cause in general, or the Protestant religion in particular, of which I shall always glory to be a zealous protector." At the conclusion of this reply, the duke continued the conversation in the French tongue, which the king understood, but did not speak, either from prejudice or timidity. The discourse turned on military and political subjects, and lasted till mid-day, the usual hour of dinner, when the king graciously invited the duke to partake of his repast. At table he was placed on the right hand of the monarch, and Count Piper on the left, and the sitting was prolonged more than half an hour beyond the usual time, in honour of so distinguished a guest. On rising from table, Charles again. retired with Marlborough into his closet, accompanied by *The authenticity of this speech has been questioned, merely on the ground that it was too adulatory to have been spoken by the Duke of Marlborough. But, with the French biographer, I see nothing in it too extravagant to be addressed by a skilful negotiator to so vain-glorious a monarch as Charles XII. I have, therefore, adopted it as genuine, because it is given in the periodical publications of the time preserved by Lamberti, and, above all, repeated by Lediard, who was then in Saxony, and asserts, that he heard the substance from several officers in the suite of the duke. Since this note was written, I have discovered an account of this discourse which was transmitted by Besenval, the French envoy at Leipsic, to Louis XIV., and which strikingly corroborates the preceding state ment. |