to you, that the present humour in England gives me a good deal of trouble; for I cannot see how it is possible they should mend till every thing is yet worse." 6
Marlborough to Godolphin, 20th April, iv. 182.
7
"In my last, I had but just time to tell you we had passed the lines. I hope this happy beginning will produce such success this campaign as must put an end to the war. I bless God for putting it into their heads not to defend their lines; for at Pont-a-Vendin, when I passed, the Marshal D'Artagnan was with twenty thousand men, which, if he had staid, must have rendered the event very doubtful. But, God be praised, we are come without the loss of any men. The excuse the French make is, that we came four days before they expected us." —
8
"I hope God will so bless our efforts, that if the Queen should not be so happy as to have a prospect of peace before the opening of the next session of parliament, she and all her subjects may be convinced we do our best here in the army to put a speedy and good period to this bloody war."
"I hear of so many disagreeable things, that make it very reasonable, both for myself and you, to take no steps but what may lead to a quiet life. This being the case, am I not to be pitied that am every day in danger of exposing my life for the good of those who are seeking my ruin? God's will be done. If I can be so blessed as to end this campaign with success, things must very much alter to persuade me to come again at the head of the army."
9
Marlborough to Godolphin, 26th May and 2d June 1710.
10
Marlborough to the Duchess, 12th June 1710. Coxe, iv. 197.
11
Marlborough to Godolphin, 26th June 1710.
12
13
Marlborough to Godolphin, 29th August 1710.
14
Coxe, iv. 343, 344.
15
"I am of opinion that, after the siege of Aire, I shall have it in my power to attack Calais. This is a conquest which would very much prejudice France, and ought to have a good effect for the Queen's service in England; but I see so much malice levelled at me, that I am afraid it is not safe for me to make any proposition, lest, if it should not succeed, my enemies should turn it to my disadvantage."
16
"Till within these few days, during these
17
"Take it we must, for we cannot draw the guns from the batteries. But God knows when we shall have it: night and day our poor men are up to the knees in mud and water."
18
Marlborough to Godolphin, 13th November 1710.
19
Cunningham, ii. 305.
20
Marlborough to the Duchess, 26th July 1710. Coxe, iv. 299.
21
Marlborough to the Duchess, 25th October and 24th November 1710. Coxe, iv. 351, 352.
22
Bolingbroke's
23
"I beg you to lose no time in sending me, to the Hague, the opinion of our friend mentioned in my letter; for I would be governed by the Whigs, from whose principle and interest I will never depart. Whilst they had a majority in the House of Commons, they might suspect it might be my interest; but now they must do me the justice to see that it is my inclination and principle which makes me act."
24
Coxe, iv. 405.
25
"Though I never thought of troubling your Majesty again in this manner, yet the circumstances I see my Lord Marlborough in, and the apprehension I have that he cannot live six months, if there is not some end put to his sufferings on my account, make it impossible for me to resist doing every thing in my power to ease him."
26
Smollett, c. x. § 20.
27
Marlborough to the Duchess, 24th May 1711. Coxe, v. 417-431.
28
Eugene to Marlborough, 23d April 1710; Marlborough to St John, 29th April 1710. Coxe, vi. 16.
29
Lidiard, ii. 426. Coxe, vi. 21. 22.
30
"I see my Lord Rochester has gone where we all must follow. I believe my journey will be hastened by the many vexations I meet with. I am sure I wish well to my country, and if I could do good, I should think no pains too great; but I find myself decay so very fast, that from my heart and soul I wish the Queen and my country a peace by which I might have the advantage of enjoying a little quiet, which is my greatest ambition."
31
Marlborough to St John, 14th June 1711.
32
33
34
"The Duke of Marlborough has no communication from home on this affair; I suppose he will have none from the Hague."
35
Coxe, vi. 52-54.
36
Kane's
37
Kane's
38
Marlborough to Mr Secretary St John, 6th August 1711.
39
"No person takes a greater interest in your concerns than myself; your highness has penetrated into the
40
"My Lord Stair opened to us the general steps which your grace intended to take, in order to pass the lines in one part or another. It was, however, hard to imagine, and too much to hope, that a plan, which consisted of so many parts, wherein so many different corps were to co-operate personally together, should entirely succeed, and no one article fail of what your grace had projected. I most heartily congratulate your grace on this great event, of which I think no more needs be said, than that you have obtained, without losing a man, such an advantage, as we should have been glad to have purchased with the loss of several thousand lives."
41
Marlborough to Mr Secretary St John, 10th August 1711.
42
Coxe, vi. 71-80; Marlborough to Mr Secretary St John, 14th, 17th, and 20th August 1711;
