THE ANNALS O F Queen ANNE'sReign. Year the Tenth. 真 The INTRODUCTION. T 1710-11. ~ HE Tenth Year of Her Majefty's Au- A. C. fpicious Reign has produc'd fuch Variety of Strange and Memorable Events; and given fuch a New Turn to the Affairs and Meafures of Great Britain, and, by a neceffary Confequence, of all Europe, that it may not improperly be mark'd in History as a CRITICAL EPOCH of POLITICKS. The firft Confideration of the Difficulties that obftruct the Discovery of the fecret Springs which have occafion'd those new Motions; and the Danger that may attend the Touching upon nice, ambiguous Steps of Men in Power, went near to deter the Writer of thefe Papers from pursuing this Annual History: But upon fecond Thoughts, he refolv❜d neither to refufe any Pains, nor to fear any Danger in the Profecution of an Undertaking honeftly defign'd for the Information of the pre A a fent A. C. fent Age and Pofterity: Confidently hoping, that 17111. the Candor and perfect Difintereftedness with which he relates Truth, will bear him out, at least with the Impartial and Unprejudic'd; the rather because he fhall not prefume to dive into Mysteries yet unreveal'd, but only to record fuch Councils and Tranfactions for which he has undeniable Vcuchers: Pag. 34: Seeming Re D. of Marl nistry. It was obferv'd in the laft Year's Amals, that the Queen and Her new Minifters thought it advifeable to continue the Duke of Marlborough in conciliation the Command of the British Forces in Flanders; between the and that in order to make him eafy, fome Younger borough and Generals under his Grace, were appointed to other the new Mi- Commands or Employments. From hence many Well-wishers to the Common Caufe were enclin'd to hope, that either at Her Majefty's Defire, or from their mutual Intereft, a Reconciliation was effected between his Grace and the new Minifters: But the Author of Four Letters published about that Time, in Vindication of the late Miniftry, particularly of the Duke of Marlborough, as to the Management of the WAR, and the Negotiatiations of PEACE, and who was generally thought Dr. Hare to be his Grace's Chaplain, and to have receiv'd Refidentiary Hints and Inftructions from his Patron, plainof St. Paul's. ly infinuated, towards the Clofe of the laft of thofe Letters, that little more Harmony was to be expected between two Rivals in Power, than between a Falling and a Rifing Favourite. Some C Perfons, fays that Writer, would still pretend to Pag. 64.8% put a good Face upon the Matter, and do not Remarkable queftion from the Duke of Marlborough's paft Pages in Succeffes, that he will yet frighten our Enemies into an Honourable Peace. But I muft beg their Pardon if I can't be of their Opinion; I am afraid he is not likely to do fo much at this time, when the Enemy are encouraged to take Heart 'afrefh; the Allies are full of Jealoufies and Fears, and himself extreamly mortified. Things aré not the fame, any more than the Ufage he meets with: When he is uneafy in his Thoughts, • undermin'd in the Favour of his Sovereign; and vilely mifrepresented to the People: When his • Want feq. 4th Lettera bout the Ma nagement of the War, and the Negotia tions of Peace • Want of Intereft at Home, makes it impoffible A. C. for the Allies to depend on the Hopes he gives 1710 11. them; when he is without Authority in his Army, where 'tis made criminal to efpoufe his Intereft; and to fly in his Face, is the fureft means to Advancement; when 'tis meritorious ' in his Officers to cabal against him, and the moft Factions will be thought the most deferving: 'With what Heart can a Man in these Circum'ftances ferve? Or what Succefs can be expected Tear's An of Marlbo in Flanders. from him, when he is to depend upon profess'd • Enemies for his Support? 'Tis little I think we ? can hope for, even from him hereafter, though that little be more than any Body elfe could do. Upon thefe Confiderations the Duke's Friends concluded, that, as was hinted before, his Grace See the laft refolv'd to act the Part of a true Hero and good nals, p.285. Patriot as well as of a confummate Politician, that is, to facrifice his Private Difgufts to the Publick Good, Motives upon by concerting Measures with the new Minftry, if which the D. not with equal Confidence, at leaft with the fame roughretains hearty Zeal for the Common Caufe, as he did the Command with the late Lord Treafurer, Wifely confidering, of the Army That his keeping his Command Abroad, was the moft effectual Means to retrieve his finking Inte-. reft at Home. These, if true, were indeed Heroick and Politick Motives: But his Grace's Enemies were not wanting to fuggeft, That his Predominant Paffion, the Love of acquiring Wealth, See the Con kept him in his Command; and that he chofe duct of the • rather to make a Surrender of what belong'd to D. of Marlborough du his Dutchefs, than to part with his own; out of ring the pre"Confideration, that the Profits arifing from thefent War, P. firft were of fmall Confequence, if compared to 283. the Advantages of the Command in Flanders, Without dwelling any longer on Conjectures, we fhall take Notice, That about the beginning of February the Queen of Great Britain was pleas'd to write a very obliging Letter to the States General, about the Duke of Marlborough, Whofe Conduct Her Majefty declared Herself to be en writes to the tirely fatisfied with; and affur'd them, that ac-States Genecording to their Defires, fhe would order ral infavour the Duke forthwith to go over to Holland. of the Duke A a 2 . The Queen of Marlbo Accord-rough out for Hol land, Feb. 18 He arrives at March 4. A. C. Accordingly the 18th of that Month his Grace 1710-11, fet out from St. James's, with a pofitive Affurance, that the Payment of the Troops under his He Grace fets Command would be as effectually taken Care of by the New Administration, as it had been by the Old; embark'd at Harwich the next Day; and on the 4th of March, N. S. arriv'd at the Hague, to the great Satisfaction of the States General, and all the Minifters of the Allies. While all Things were preparing on both Sides for the opening the Campaign, many Confultations were held on feveral weighty Affairs, particularly in relation to the Neutrality of the Empire, which was in im. minent Danger of being broke, by the King of The King of Sweden's refufing to come into the Measures alDeclaration ready agreed on for that purpofe; as appears by against the the following Declaration of his Swedish Majefty Beatrality of deliver'd on the 3d of March N. S. by his Minister the Empire. at the Hague. Sweden's WHEN WHEN his Swedish Majefty received the first Advice, that the moft Serene Emperor of the Romans, the moft Serene Queen of Great < Britain, and the High and Mighty Lords the States General of the United Netherlands, in 'conjunction with feveral Princes of the Empire, had made an Agreement for the Prefervation of the Peace of the Empire, his faid Majelty did not doubt but that the only Scope of that Treaty was, that his Kingdoms and Provinces fhould be preferv'd and protected against the Violence and Infults of his Enemies, and the rather, because this was expected from the Amity of the Powers aforefaid, and might have been required from them by Virtue of the Alliances made between them for their mutual Defence. But having been inform'd fince, that the most unjust Cause of his Enemies was equally protected and encouraged by the faid Convention, and that his Kingdoms and Provinces were left open to the Infults of his Enemies, without any hopes of Succours of any Friend, his Majefty protested, and caus'd his Ministers to declare every where, That he could not confent to the Terms of that . Treaty, Treaty, concluded against his Will, and hardly A. C. without Partiality. His faid Majefty therefore 1710-11. protefts again, declares and notifies to all and every one, that relying entirely on the Divine Affiftance, and the Juftice of his Cause, he referves to himself a free and entire Power, re'ftrain'd by no manner of Conditions, to ufe fuch Means and Forces as God has been pleafed to give him, against his Enemies to employ them where-ever and whenever the Cuftom and Reafon of War fhall require it. And if it fhould happen that any one rejecting his Friendship, goes • about to retard and obftruct his Defigus to purfue his declared Enemy with his juft Arms, his Majefty declares that, in that Cafe, he cannot but look upon fuch Oppofer as an Aggreffor. In • Witness whereof he has fubfcribed thefe Prefents ' with his own Hand. Done near Bender, November 30 1710. Sign'd, CHARLES. Mediarion to Hereupon the High Allies thought fit to offer The Allies their Mediation to the Minifters of Muscovy, Po- offer their land and Denmark on one fide, and to the Minifter the Nothern of the King of Sweden on the other, who all pro- Powers. mis'd to inform their respective Mafters therewith. The following Letter from Count Fleming, Count Fle Chief Minister of State to King Auguftus, to the ming's LetBaron de Harfolte, the Dutch Envoy at the Polifter about K. Court, who had written to him about that Me Sentiments diation, fhews the Sentiments and Difpofitions of in that reof the King his Master, in relation to that Af-Spect, dated fair: SIR, Have given the King an exact Account of the Contents of the Letter which you did me the 'Honour to write to me the 14th Inftant. His Majefty continues in the fame Difpofition to Peace, of which he has given Proofs. He would heartily contribute towards it, provided it was a reasonable and folid Peace, and that it were made in Conjunction with his Allies. His Ma'jefty A a 3 Auguftus's Dreiden March 19. 1711. N.S. |