know, that when he march'd, his Grace fhould be oblig'd to take the best Care he could for the Security of the Queen's Troops, and to change his Camp in Order to it. The fame Day Marshal Villars giving the Dukes of Ormond an Account, that he had fent by Colonel Lloyd Orders for the Delivery of Dunkirk, fays, Permit mè, Sir, to have the Honour to tell you, tho' it be very advantageous not to be oblig'd to engage the bravest and boldeft of our Enemies, yet 'tis very important to know thofe that remain fo; and I take the Liberty to defire you will do me the Honour to fend me Word, what Troops and what Generals will obey your Orders'; because the first Attempt the Enemy makes, I will not lofe one Moment to meet them; the King gives me a · Liberty to fight, which nothing but the Negociation's has hitherto prevented, and which the Army under my Command has a great Defire to make use of. I think 'the Work is finish'd, if the Army which is under your Orders obeys them. This then, Sir, is no indiscreet Curiofity, that I prefume to defire you to give me some Lights upon the Doubts which I am in. I shall be very much oblig'd to you, Sir, if, by the Return of this Trumpet, you'll honour me with one Word of Anfwer, upon the Lights which I have defir'd of you. You'll give me Leave to join to this Packet a Letter for my Lord Strafford.

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July 15, the Duke of Ormond, in Anfwer to this Letter, fays, I fhould be glad I were at prefent in a Capacity to give you all the Infight you defire, but it is yet impoflible for me. Notwithstanding I was unwilling to delay fending back the Trumpet, to let you know I am well affur'd I fhall be capable of telling you to Morrow C particularly, what Troops will remain under my ComC mand. As to the Sufpenfion of Arms, you already know, Sir, that, according to my Orders, I cannot declare it in Form, till I am affur'd the Governor of Dunkirk fhall have executed all the King's Orders for the Evacuation of the Place. His Grace adds, In the mean Time you will agree with me, Sir, that the faid Sufpenfion has already its Effect on my Side, fince I have juft now inform'd Prince Eugene and the States Depu ties, that in Cafe they should undertake any new Operation, I could not give them any Affiftance with the Queen's Army.

On the 16th, the Duke of Ormond writes again to Marefchal Villars, and fays, Your Trumpet juft now puc into my Hands the Honour of your Letter of the 15th, and I am now to acquit myself of the Promife I made you Yefterday. Prince Eugene is march'd this Morning, and all the Foreign Troops have quitted us, except one • Battalion and four Squadrons of Holftein, and two Squadrons of Walef. He adds, Things having pafs'd as I have the Honour to tell you, I thought myself oblig'd to acquaint you of it as foon as poffible; and as I obferv'd to you Yesterday, the Sufpenfion of Arms has already its Effect on my Part, by the Separation I have made of the Queen's Troops, and all her Artillery, from thofe of Prince Eugene, and by my declaring to him, I could give him no Affiftance, and that the Payment of the Foreign Trcops is ftopp'd, and that by • Confequence there is fallen upon the Emperor and Hol• land a Burthen they will not be long able to fupport. I truft, Sir, to your good Faith, and fhall to Morrow make a Movement to put myself into another Situation, and I hope I shall have News from Dunkirk, that will authorize me to declare a Sufpenfion of Arms." The fame Day Marshal Villars acquaints the Duke of Ormond, that the Governor of Dunkirk was making the neceffary Preparations to evacuate that Place: He tells his Grace, For my Part, Sir, as I already reckon you for our Ally, I am not at all in hafte to have you farther off, you are at your own Liberty to come near us, and < encamp on the King's Territories wherever you fhall think proper." Upon this the Duke of Ormond the Day after order'd a Ceflation of Arms to be proclaim'd by Sound of Trumpet.

The Committee in this Place obferve, that had the firft Defigw taken Effect, which was depended upon by France, and fo far prefum'd by England as to be undertaken for, that all Foreigners in the Queen's Pay, that compos'd the Duke of Ormond's Army, fhould feparate and withdraw from the reft of the Allies, it is notorious, that from that Inftant Prince Eugene's whole Army, unlefs they fubmitted to the fame Measures, had been left at the Mercy of the French Army, to be cut in Pieces, or made Prifoners, at the Will of Marshal Villars; which had left the Queen's Troops in no better a Condition than to have the Privilege of being laft deftroy'd; yet all the Allies, whofe Honour and Confcience would not permit them to abandon their Confederates, and leave them as a Sacrifice

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a Sacrifice to France, were punish'd by England with the Lofs of their Pay and Subfidies, which was all that was in the Power of the Miniftry to do, to fhew their Refentment at this great Difappointment to the Measures of France. However, this March of Prince Eugene, Lord Strafford thought might be turn'd upon them, and he prevail'd with the Duke of Ormond, in a Meffage to Prince Eugene, to fay, His marching without Concert with us, and all the Queen's Auxiliaries marching from us, expos'd us fo, that we have been obliged to fend to the French to declare with us a Ceflation of Arms." thing lefs could put the Queen's Troop's in Safety; tho' Matters fell out fo pat, without this we must have declar'd for the Ceffation, yet why should we not turn all this Matter upon them? The Committee had not thought it worth their while to take Notice of fuch an idle Attempt to impofe upon the Senfes of Mankind, if they had not been induc'd by another Paffage in the fame Letter to think it deferv'd fome Observation; where Lord Strafford giving an Account of what pafs'd upon the Separation, fays, All the English feem rejoic'd to march < off, being weary of the Situation they were in, and the Reproaches they met with in the great Army; there are two or three Faces very four, they figh and with the Hanoverians had not feparated from us; but I fhall tell them, perhaps, it may be better. He may fee by this Time the wrong Advice he has follow'd, fince all muft lay the Blame of the Separation upon him. But this is not the only Inftance of the Scorn and Cóntempt which his Lordship was ready to exprefs upon the like Occafions; for. July the 16th, 1712, giving an Account of a Conversation with Mr. Bulau, the Elector of Hanover's General, wherein his Lordship declar'd, That the Queen had yet neither made Peace nor Truce, which De claration was made near a Month after the Articles for a Sufpenfion of Arms were fign'd, and his Lordfhip reprefenting the great Dangers the Queen's Troops were expos'd to, by being left alone in their Camp when Prince Eugene march'd, and Mr. Bulau replying, in Cafe of any Attack they had been fure of their Affiftance and Protection; his Lordship fays, My Anfwer was in a disdainful Way: It would be a very odd Thing, when an Elector of the Empire fhould be a fufficient Protection to Great Britain: And December the 14th, 1712, Lord Strafford in his Letter to Mr. St. John, fays, Count Zinzendorf own'd, it was impoffible to carry on the War alone, especially

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fince the Elector of Hanover, who was the greatest Hero for the War, has threaten'd the States to recal his Troops, if they did not pay him the Queen's Share of the Subfidies.' In short, Count Zinzendorf himself could not but laugh at the ridiculous Way of proceeding of that Court.

The Armies being now feparated, and the Sufpenfion of Arms declar'd, the Committee recapitulate in what Manner, and by what Steps, this fatal Ceffation was procur'd. They obferve in the first Place, that it is evident, it was of infinite Advantage and abfolutely neceffary to the Affairs of France, and therefore infifted on by France; and that it is as certain, that the English Miniftry gave early into it, if they were not the firft Advisers of it; for which no other Account need be requir'd, but that, as all their Meafures tended to advance the Interest of the Queen's Enemies, they could not fail to be zealous in a Point which contributed more to those Views than any one Occurrence during the whole Negotiation; but as they all along wanted Appearances, and confulted them more › than any real Advantages to the Kingdom, they thought it neceffary to annex fome Conditions to this important Article, that might pafs upon the deluded People as a Juftification of this unprecedented Treachery. The Demolition of Dunkirk was always fo popular a Point, that nothing could ftrike the Imaginations of the People more, than to be told, that this important Place was deliver'd into the Queen's Poffeffion: This Step, they thought, well improv'd, would recommend the Peace itfelf, at least, juftify the Ceflation. And as the Nation had nothing more at Heart than the Difpofition of the Spanish Monarchy, after the Renunciation had been industriously cry'd up, and the Queen had declar'd from the Throne, that France and Spain were thereby more effectually divided than ever: Thefe two Articles were made the effential Conditions of granting a Ceflation of Arms. For the latter, France eafily confented to it, having declar'd it to be null and void by the fundamental Laws of France: For the first, 'tis evident how unwillingly France was brought to furrender Dunkirk; but this the Miniftry were refolv'd to purchase at any Rate, as what would most easily amufe, and fenfibly affect the Nation; and therefore to obtain this, they engage not only to grant a Ceffation of Arms, but to conclude a feparate Peace. The Prospect of concluding a feparate Peace, and the obtaining an immeliate Ceffation of Arms, which anfwer'd all the Purpofes

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of France almoft as well, as a feparate Peace, by leaving the whole Confederacy at their Mercy, were fo great Temptations to France, that the Surrender of Dunkirk is agreed to; but if we confider what England gain'd by granting this fatal Ceflation, we fhall find the Demolition of Dunkirk fupply'd by a new Canal, more beneficial to to France, and formidable to the Navigation of Great Britain, than Dunkirk ever was; and for the Renunciation, we were told by France, we should deceive our felves if we accepted it as an Expedient to prevent the Union of the two Monarchies.

The Committee close their Obfervations upon this me morable Campaign of 1712, with inferting another Letter that was wrote by the Duke of Ormond to my Lord Bolingbroke. The Dutch, it feems, encourag'd by the Succefs of their Enterprize upon Fort Knocque, had form'd a Design for furprizing Newport or Furnes, which his Grace. having Intelligence of, thought proper to write the following Letter, October the 21st, 1712, to my Lord Bolingbroke. I take this Opportunity to acquaint your Lordship with an Affair which has been communicated to me by a Perfon very well inclin'd to her Majefty's Service: Your Lordship will beft judge of the Importance of it, and the Ufe that is to be made of it, when I tell you, that the Success of the Enterprise upon Knocque has encourag'd the forming a Project for furprizing Newport or Furnes, and that the fortifying Dixmude is made use of as a Pretence for drawing together a Body of Troops fufficient to put the Defign in Execution. If it be thought more for her Majefty's Service to prevent it, I am humbly of Opinion fome Means should be found to give Advice of it to Marshal Villars, who may poffibly think we owe him that good Office, in Requital of fome Informations your Lordship knows he has given me, with a Defign to ferve her Majefty and the Nation. I am not yet at Liberty to acquaint your Lordship with the Name of my Author, who defires the whole Matter may be manag'd with the greatest Secrecy.

The Ceffation was no fooner declar'd, and Dunkirk deliver'd up, but Monfieur de Torcy calls upon Mr. St. John' to perform his Promife of concluding a Peace between France and Great Britain in a few Weeks, which he thinks can meet with no Difficulties, all the Conditions of Peace with England being regulated, and the Intentions of the King touching the General Peace known to, and approv❜d by her Britannick Majefty. Monfieur de Torcy then propofes the Method of regulating the Sufpenfion by Sea; and infifts, that during the Sufpenfion, either general or parci

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