6. A. C. 1703. the World know, That none of the States of the Empire, or their Allies of either Religion, had ever any fuch Defign, but that this prefent League and "War was enter'd into by the Empire, and their Allies, only against the faithlefs Crown of France,and against her Adherents, for Maintenance of the Freedem of "Religion,and of the Liberties of the Empire,and their Allies; and therefore order'd the Spreaders of fuch Reports to be punish'd as Enemies to their Country; And that their Envoys and Refidents give Notice of this to all Courts, particularly to that of Rome, in Order to obviate thofe falfe and Malicious Reports. On the other hand, the Elector of Bavaria, being puff'd up to see himself at the Head of an Army of above 30000 Men, was refolv'd, that the Diet of Ratisbonne, in a manner his Prifoners, fhould be fenfible of it: To which purpose he order'd his publick Minister to prefent them with two Memorials, fetting forth, That his Minifter did not queftion, but The Duke of "that they already understood that Marefchal de Vil. Bavaria's lars had forc'd the Paffes in the Vale of Kintzig, to the Diet. Memorials and that the Elector finding himself attack'd in fuch a manner, that Part of his Country was already ruin'd, was refolv'd to make use of his Succours, for the Repelling of any Violence that should be 'offer'd him for the future; That however, this Refolution fhould not make him alter his Promises in Relation to the Security of the Diet, and that he would withdraw his Men, fo foon as the Emperor 'fhould have ratify'd the Conclufions for the Neutrality of the City; and that he hop'd that upon thefe Affurances, the Diet would have no Reafon to remove: Yet if Self-Intereft fhould fo far prevail among them, that they would change their Refi dence, his Mafter would grant them a general Pals, fince they had already agreed to give his Minister an Affurance, that he might alfo go with them; ⚫ and that he expected, That in the Inftrument that fhould be drawn up for that Purpose, it should be particularly exprefs'd, That his Minifter should upon no Pretence whatever, be excluded from the Meetings and Debates of the Diet, and that nothing should be refolu'd and concluded in the Matter of the Ninth Electorate, without his Knowledge and Confent. To all thefe Things the Minifter preft to have a speedy Answer A. C. 1703. Bonn be feg'd. in Writing; but instead of that the Diet came to a Refolve, That the Points being of great Confequence, they could not come to any Conclufion, without particular Inftructions from their Masters. While the French were bufie and profperous in Germany, the Duke of Marlborough, Captain General of Her Majefty's Forces, was not idle, nor his Defign's unfuccefsful. His Grace having refolv'd to open the Campaign by the Taking of Bonn, caus'd that Place to be invefted, on the 24th of April (N. S.) by the Pruffian and Lunenburgh Cavalry, under LieutenantGeneral Bouleau; and the next Day went himself tó Cologne, whilft the Infantry, commanded by Lieutenant General Fagel, was coming up to the Camp. On the 26th Lieutenant General Coehorn, arriv'd by Water with the Veffels and Pontons, and prefently á Bridge was laid over the Rhine at Rhinefdorf, from which Place the Befiegers Camp extended as far as Kruitsberg. After fome Confultations among the Generals, the Town was order'd to be attack'd in three Places. The firft, against the Fort on the other fide of the Rhine, and the other Two against the City, and the Outworks that fecur'd it. The first of thefe Attacks was commanded by Lieutenant General Cocborn, having under him the Major Generals Freifheim and Erbervelt, with Monfieur la Rocque for Chief Engineer; The fecond by the Hereditary Prince of Heffe Caffel, having under him the Prince of AnhaltZeibft, and Monfieur Tettau, with Monfieur Hazard as Chief Engineer; And the Third by LieutenantGeneral Fagel, with whom were join'd the MajorGenerals Dedem and St. Paul, with Colonel Reinchard for Chief Engineer. Twelve Regiments were order'd to each of thefe Attacks, who took their Pofts accordingly the 27th, And on the 3d of May the Trenches were open'd and carried on with great Success, and very inconfiderable Lofs, thro' the great Care of the Generals and Engineers. At the fame time the Batteries were rais'd with that Alacrity and Speed, and the Preparations for Mifchief appear'd fo dreadfully, that the Governor fent a Letter to the Duke of Marlborough, importing, That an Agreement had been made the laft Year, between the Electors Palatine, and of Cologne, That the Citics of Duffeldorp and Bonn fhould not be Bombarded, in order to preferve the < the Churches, Palaces, and other publick Buildings, A. C. the Performance of which he was order'd to request 1703. from his Grace; and to declare withal, That unless the fame were obferv'd, the Elector of Bavaria would deftroy the City of Nieuburg, belonging to the Elector Palatine. The Duke having communicated this Letter to the Elector Palatine, and confulted with the other Generals, it was thought convenient that his Grace fhould anfwer it in general Terms, That it was neither his Custom, nor his Inclination, to destroy Cities, or publick Buildings, out of a prepenfe Malice or Defign, provided the Enemies Conduct did not put him upon fuch a Neceflity. On the 8th of May the Batteries being ready, the Befiegers began to fire with good Succefs: For the fame Day, the Chain which held the flying Bridge, by Imeans of which the Fort communicated with the Town, was broke by a Cannon shot, and the Bridge faved in pieces, and carried away by the Stream, notwithstanding the Enemies endeavours to fave it. The next Day the Battery which play'd upon the Fort, made fuch a Breach, that the General refolv'd to ftorm it; but the French not thinking themselves fafe there, fet fire to their Cazernes, and retreated into the Ravelin, in order to get into the Town in Boats. The Befiegers Diligence and Valour prevented their Design; fo that the Commander of the Fort, and 30 of his Men, were made Prifoners, the reft being either kill'd or drowned: A Succefs fo unexpected, that the Duke of Marlborough and General Opdam fent Expreffes to the States General to acquaint 'em with it. A little before the Gaining of this Fort, an unhappy Accident happen'd, in General Dedem's Attack, where 150 Bombs, and as many Granadoes, unfortunately took fire, and were blown up, together with a Lieutenant, and 5 Bombardeers, which, however, did not hinder the Befiegers from making that Progrefs of which we have already given an Ac count; So that being now Masters of the Fort, a great Battery was rais'd in it, which began to play on the 12th to the number of 70 Pieces of Heavy Cannon, and 18 Mortars, in order to make two Breaches, with a Defign to ftorm the Place from the Prince of Heffe's and General Dedem's Attacks. The next Day, aboury 12 A. C. about Noon, the Befieged, with about a Thousand 1703. Foot, fupported by all their Horfe and Dragoons, I made a Sally upon General Dedem's Attack, where the Befiegers in the Trenches were at first put into fome Disorder, but foon recovering themselves, they repuls'd the French, with the Lofs of about a hundred Men kilid on each fide, and fome Prifoners taken on both. All Things being now in a Readiness to af. fault the Counterfcarp, and Cover'd way, on the fide of Prince of Heffe's Attack, the Onfet began about Eight-a-Clock at Night, under the Command of Major General Tettau, and Brigadier Palandt, the Prince being there in Perfon. The Befiegers, feconded by the continued Fire, both from the Cannon and Mortars of feveral Attacks, forced their way forwards, drove the Befieged from their Works, and lodg'd themselves there: In which brisk Action General Tettau was wounded, with about ten Officers, and 150 Soldiers kill'd and wounded, together with the Engineer that commanded in the Works. So much Bravery in the Befieged, and fuch an amazing Tempest of Artificial Thunder aud Lightening, aftonished the Befieged to that Degree, that fearing a fe May 14th. cond Affault, the next Day they beat a Parley, and on the 14th of May furrendred the Place on Honourable Conditions, which were fign'd by the Duke of furrendred Marlborough, and Monfieur d'Alegre, the French GoMay 15th vernor. N. S. Bonn N. S. While the Duke of Marlborough was fat down before Bonn, the French Marefchals that commanded in Flanders, viz. Villeroy and Boufflers, thinking to have furpriz'd the Confederates that lay difpers'd about Maeftricht, and to have bombarded the Town it felf, and after that to have fallen upon Liege, on the 9th of May (N.S.) at Night, advanced of a fudden into the Neighbourhood of Tongeren, with an Army of about 40000 Men; Boufflers coming up with part of thefe Forces on the one fide of the Town, Two Regi. and Villeroy with the reft on the other: So that the maet of Confederates, who were marching to have pofted the Allies themfelves in that Place, were forc'd to retreat with made Pri fpeed under the Cannon of Maeftricht. In the mean faners at time, the Enemy fell upon Tongeren, where two BatTonge talions of Foot, one of El, the other of Port sen. more, more, were quarter'd, and who defended themfelves A. C. with extraordinary Bravery, for 28 Hours, but then 1703. were forc'd to yield at Difcretion. This vigorous Refiftance gave the Confederates an Opportunity to draw together before Maeftricht: So that when the Enemy advanc'd forward, with a Defign, as was fuppos'd, to have forc'd the Confederate Cavalry to repafs the Maes at Nimeguen, and the Foot to retire under the Outworks of Macftricht, and there to have ply'd 'em with their Bombs, they found,to their great Difappointment, the Confederate Army under General Overkirk, drawn up in order of Battel, advantagiously polted, and ready to engage 'em, though much inferior in Number. This put the Two Marefchals to a stand, fo that they knew not what to do, and the Confederates might eafily perceiv: how much they fluctuated in their Refolutions. They first ap-The Marepear'd about Seven a Clock in the Morning, in Order schals Vil of Battle, upon the Hill call'd Duysbergh, with the leroy and greatest Part of their Army; from whence they made Boufflers, feveral infignificant Motions, feeming all to tend to difappoint the Attacking of the Confederates Right Winged by Gnral Overwhich the Confederates obferving, posted an Englishkirk, Brigade in the Hedges of Lonaken, to cover their Right Flank, and a Regiment of Dragoons was pofted near the Church of Lonaken, to fupport a hundred and fifty Foot, placed in the Church Yard to defend the Pafs from the Heath of Beffimere. And, indeed, where ever the Enemy feem'd to bend their Strength, the Confederate Generals were careful to double their Oppofition. About Ten of the Clock the fame Forenoon, the Enemy made a general Motion of all their Forces,fending down feveral Brigades of Foot in Two Columns from between DuysberghHill, and the Village of Veltweffen; From whence the Confederate Generals concluded, that they were marching directly towards 'em. But when they came within reach of the Cannon, they made a Halt, borh with their Brigades, and the main Body of their Army, the Brigadees ftretching themselves out their Right toward Duysbergh, and their Left toward Veltwellen, and their main Body upon the Hills of Duysbergh, and behind Veltweffen. Thus both Armies ftood gazing one upon another, till Three in the Afternoon: When the Two 1 4 Marefchals, |