London,

He cautiously

A. C. not in the Secret, though at that time first Pleni1711. potentiary) at least about the Profecution of the War, his Grace fet out the 23d for the Brill, in Sets out for order to embark for England. On the 28th of Arrives at that Month, or, according to the Old Stile, the 17th, his Grace arrived at Greenwich, but did Nov.18.0.S not think fit to come to his Houfe at St. James's till the next Morning early, that he might avoid avoids the the Attendance of the Mobility, efpecially at this Attendance critical Juncture: By which prudent Caution his Grace defeated the Intent of a Story raised by his ungenerous Enemies, That he was to have made his Publick Entry into London the Night before, when, in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth's Inauguration, publick Rejoycings were to have been in the folemn Burning of the Pope, the Devil and the Pretender

of the Mob.

T

break the

To conclude the Affairs of the Netherlands during the Year 1711. N.S. we must take Notice, be French that upon information that the Allies intended to Dykes on the make great Magazines at Douay, the French reScarpe and folv'd to prevent it, or at least to render it very on the Canal difficult. In order to that, they affembled befrom Douay of Line. tween thirty and forty thousand Men, who on the 10th of December march'd in three feveral Bodies. One of them pafs'd the Senfet; and pofting themselves on the Scarpe between Marchienne and Mortagne, broke the Dykes, funk Trees, and a great quantity of Stones taken from the Neighbouring Houses, whereby they render'd that River unnavigable. Another Party advanc'd to the Canal from Douay to Life, blew up the Sluyces at Pont-à-Vendin, and filrd that Canal for fome Miles; and the third Party advancing between Bethune and Aire, obliged one hundred and fifty Men posted in Lillers to furrender Prifoners of War, after which, if we may credit the French Accounts, all the Troops return'd to their refpe&tive Pofts without any Lofs. But the Allies gave different Relations of the Design and Success of this Expedition, as appears by the following Letter from the Earl of Albemarle to the States-General.

High and Mighty Lords,

A: C. 1711.

States Gene

Have had the Honour in my two former to The Earl of I give your High Mightineffes a particular Albemarle's Account of the Motions of the Enemy, and the Letter to the Measures I had taken to affemble all the Gar-ral, about rifons of the Frontier Places to oppofe the En- that Expedi terprize of the Enemy, who feem'd to have a tion. defign upon Bouchain. I have had alfo the Ho

nour to tell you upon the Advice I received at Life from the Count de Hompefch, that the French had actually begun to repair the Lines which we had made during the Siege of Bouchain, and levell'd after its Reduction, to fhut up that Place on that fide, which was the more eafily believed, because it appeared incompreprehenfible and unlikely, that they would have drawn up fo confiderable a number of Troops from their most remote Garrifons, especially at this time of the Year, that the Roads are al• most impracticable, without having some great Defign in view; but when all our Troops were in motion, part being already arrived at Pont-àRache, and part about half way between Life and Douay, Advice came laft Night from the Officer pofted at Anchien, that the Enemy were marching back. This was confirmed about Twelve at Night, not only by the Advice fent by the faid Officer from Anchien, but alfo the Spies, and the feveral Parties fent out for Intelligence, reported, That they were certainly to retire upon the approach of our Troops. However, I received at the fame time a Letter from Major General Groveftein, with Advice, that the Enemy expected a Convoy of Forage, ' and had Intelligence from other Parts, that they had made a Detachment to convoy Bread to their Camp, and that a confiderable number of Troops from their Garrisons between the Sam"bre and the Maeze, were expected at Cambray, which Advices made People flill believe, DJ 4 'that

A. C. 1711.

that they had fome important Project to ex

Cecute.

To be the better informed of their Motions, I commanded feveral Parties Abroad, with Orders to advance in fight of the Enemy, and bring me a certain Account of them, and at the fame time I order'd all the Cavalry of Douay to hold themfelves in a readiness to march, and this Morning having been informed by the Parties aforefaid, which thro' the badness of the Roads, could not return before Nine of the Clock, that the Enemy were retiring as well from the Scarpe as the Canal, and on both fides on a full march, I immediately march'd out with the eighteen Squadrons of the Garrison of Douay, and General Hompefch, who during all thefe Motions has been very diligent and watchful to have intelligence of the Enemy, the Prince of Holftein Beck, Lieutenant General Murray,Major General Naffau-Woudenburgh, Major General Chanclos, Major General Ivoy, Brigadier Berkoffer, and Major General Milkau, who were already arrived there, and fent Orders to the Cavalry of Lille, which was at Pont-a-Rache, to follow with all expedition. Being arrived on the Plain near Efquerchin, we faw the Enemy on a full march directly towards Arras by the way of Gaurelle; whereupon we per fued them with all poffible diligence, and being arrived on the Height of Fampoux, in fight of Arras, we were in hopes to ingage them, but they retir'd with fo much Precipitation, that we could not come at them. We could not be exactly informed of their strength, but they appear'd a very great Body of Horfe, and we judged from the beating of their Drums, that they were fuftained by their Infantry. However, we harrafs'd them fo much in their march, that ten or twelve Squadrons of them were oblig'd to throw themselves into the Scarpe at Fampoux, and got on the other fide, thofe which had paffed over the Bridge, having broke down the fame after them, The

reft

reft of their Cavalry retired in great Precipi- A. C. <tation and Confufion into the Works of Ar

ras, and we purfued them within the reach of their Cannon. The Night coming on, we returned to Douay. I cannot believe that the Enemy would have made fuch Motions for fo little an Enterprize as interrupting the Navigation of the Scarpe and the Canal, and ruined their Troops, which have been expofed to unfpeakable Hardships, as well upon account of the badness of the Roads and the Weather, as from the scarcity of Provifions, which toge'ther occafion'd, that an incredible number of 'Deferters are come over to us, by Companies of thirty and forty at once. However, if they had another defign, they have mifcarried therein by the expeditious affembling of our Troops. I fhall not detain your High Mightineffes with an Account of their filling the Canal and the Scarpe, and rendring them annavigable; for I defign to repair thither to Morrow and take a view of the fame, of which I fhall have the Honour to give an exact Account to your High Mightineffes. I remain, &c.

Douay, Dec. 14. 1711.

at Ten at Night.

Sign'd,

ALBEMARLE.

1711.

dition.

I fhall only add to this Letter, That by a mo- Great lofs of deft Computation, the French loft between two the French and three Thousand Men in that foolish Expe- in this Expedition, wherein they did little more, than give the World a fresh Instance, that they obferve Treaties and Agreements no longer than they think them confiftent with their Intereft: The deftroying of Sluices, Burning, and Demolishing of Houses, being contrary to the exprefs Terms of the Treaty for Contribution.

It has been hinted before, that upon the Death of the late Emperor, the Court of France made great Preparations to invade Germany with a Powerful Army, in order to fupport their clandeftine Intrigues at Frankfort, both against the Election of King Charles III. and in Favour of the Elector of

Affairs of

Germany.

A. C.

1711.

The D. of

Bavaria, who, they gave out, was to Command their Forces: Whereupon it was judg'd neceffary to detach the Imperial and Palatine Troops then in Flanders to Germany; and that the Imperial Army fhould be commanded by Prince Eugene of Savoy. While thefe Reinforcements were on the March, the Duke of Wirtembergh affembled part affembles part of the Troops of the Circles; entrench'd himself of the Army at Muckenfturm, near Etlingen, a Poft very advanof the Em tageous by Nature; and vifited the Paffes of the Black-Foreft, which he caus'd to be guarded by the

Wirtem

bergh.

pire.

Militia of his Country. At the fame time, upon Information, that the Elector of Bavaria had fome Other Pre- intelligence in the City of Ulm,theCircle of Suabia cautions to refolv'd to put fome Batallions into that City, to Security of prevent any Surprize; and there being no doubt the Empire. to be made, but that the Bavarians were ready

ken for the

to embrace any fair Opportunity to rife in favour of their late Sovereign, the Imperial Regency in that Country, took early Care to feize their Arms and Ammunition; allowing only Gentlemen to keep their Swords and a Fowling-Piece. On the other hand, the Emiffaries of the Electors of Bavaria and Cologn fpread feveral Libels at Ratisbon, and other Parts of Germany, wherein they endea vour to fhew, That the Sentence whereby they were put to the Ban of the Empire, and depriv'd of their Eftates and Dignity, was contrary to the Treaty of Weftphalia, feveral Receffes or Solemn Conventions of the Empire, namely to the Capitulation Sworn to by the Emperor Leopold at his Arguments Election at Frankfort, July 18, 1658. and more fed in Fa- particularly to the 28th Article thereof, which is or of the in Subftance as follows: Likewife we fhall not Electors of Cologn and fuffer that any Elector, Prince, or any other Perfon of great or mean Quality, be put to the Ban of the Empire, without a lawful and fufficient Caufe, or without being heard in his own Defence, and without the Privity and Knowledge, Advice and exprefs Confent of the Electors of the Holy Empire. Therefore they fhall be proceeded against according to the Imperial Conftitutions, and the Orders of the Imperial Cham ber of Spire, and other Conventions already

Bavaria.

made