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A.D. 1706.] such seminaries. But this only called up the witty lord Wharton, who desired that the inquiry of the judges might be extended also to the schools aud seminaries held by non-jurors, in one of which the sons of a noble prelate had been educated. This was a sharp blow for the archbishop, who was obliged to confess that his sons had been educated with a Mr. Ellis till he refused the oath of abjuration, when they were taken away. Lord Wharton went on to say that he had read "The Memorial of the Church of England," which had created so much alarm; but all that he could learn from it was that the duke of Buckingham and the earl's of Rochester aud Nottiugham were out of place.

Other bishops, as Patrick of Ely, Hough of Lichfield, and Hooper of Bath and Wells, complained of the undutiful conduct of the clergy to the bishops, and of the universities encouraging this disposition; and the duke of Leeds regretted that the occasional conformity bill had not passed; but lord Somers, recapitulating all the arguments used on both sides, contended that the nation was happy under a wise and just administration, and that for men to raise groundless jealousies at this moment was only to promote faction at home, and paralyse the exertions of the allies abroad. The motion being put whether the church really was in danger, it was carried by a large majority that it was not, and that whoever insinuated such a thing under her majesty's administration was an enemy to the queen, the church, and the kingdom. The commons came to a similar conclusion, and the queen issued a proclamation embodying these resolutions of the two houses. Edwards, the printer of the "memorial," was brought to the bar of the house of commons, and called on to declare the author of it. He named Sir Humphrey Mackworth and other members of this house; but, as he received the manuscript through a third person, he could not prove this, and the matter was let drop.

During those important debates the convocation exhibited the same unedifying scenes of bickering and unreasonableness. The two houses could not agree on any single topic. The upper house voted an address to her majesty, thanking her for her care of the church; the lower house refused to concur in it, but drew up a very different one. This the archbishop returned to them. They then passed resolutions declaring their right of having what they offered received by the archbishop and the upper house. Thus the address was quashed altogether. The dean of Peterborough protested against the conduct of the lower house, and the queen, in a letter, intimated her resolution to maintain her supremacy and the due subordination of presbyters to bishops, and she required the archbishop to prorogue convocation at such times as appeared most convenient. This plain speaking from the throne greatly disconcerted the lower house, but it persisted in its contumacy, and, though prorogued, continued to sit in defiance of the primate and of her majesty.

On the 19th of March, 1706, the queen prorogued parliament till the 21st of May. Towards the end of April Marlborough proceeded to Holland to commence the campaign. The severe defeat which the troops of Louis had received in Germany the last year nerved him to fresh exertions. He had little fear of dealing with the prince of Baden on the Upper Rhine; but Marlborough in the Netherlands, Eugene in Savoy, and Peterborough in Spain demanded all his vigour, and he determined to act with decision on all these points, and especially against Marlborough. He heard that the Danes and Prussians had not yet joined the confederate army, and he ordered Villeroi to attack it before these reinforcements could come up. In consequence of this order, Villeroi and the elector of Bavaria—who, spite of his severe chastisement, still adhered to France against his own country — passed the Dyle, and posted hemselves, on the 19th of May, at Tirlemont. They were there joined by the cavalry uder marshal Marsin, and encamped betwixt Tirlemont and Judoigne.

Marlborough assembled his army betwixt Borschloen and Gros-Waren, and found it to consist of seventy-four battalions of foot, and one hundred and twenty-three squadrons of horse and dragoons, well supplied with artillery and pontoons. Hearing that the French were advancing towards him, and being now joined by the Danes, Marlborough set forward and appeared in eight columns before the village of Ramillies. The French, who had already taken possession of Ramillies, and strongly fortified it, entrenched themselves in a strong camp, the right extending to Hautemont, on the Mehaigne, and their left to Anderkirk, Ramillies constituting the centre. The duke posted his right wing near Foltz, on the brook of Yauae, and his left at the village of Franquenies. Villeroi had committed the capital blunder of leaving his wings sundered by impassable ground, so that they could not act in support of each other. The fatal error was obvious to all his officers, and lieutenant-general Gassion boldly pointed it out to him. Villeroi, with a stupid conceit, paid no attention to the warning, when Gassion exclaimed in alarm, "You are lost if you do not change your order of battle. If you delay a moment all will be over." The other officers gave the same decided opinion, but Villeroi remained immovable, and he was immediately attacked in his centre with such impetuosity by Marlborough, that there was no longer any chance of retrieving his error.

It was about half past one o'clock when Marlborough ordered general Schulz, with twelve battalions, to attack Ramillies, whilst Auverquerque attacked Franquenies on the left. Schulz, who had twenty pieces of cannon, opened fire on Ramilles, but met with so warm a reception, that he had great difficulty in maintaining his ground; but Marlborough supported him with column after column, and the fight there was raging terribly. In the midst of it, Marlborough seeing some of the men driven from the guns, galloped up to encourage them. He was recognised by the French, who made a dash and surrounded him. He broke through them, however, by a desperate effort, but in endeavouring to regain his own ranks, his horse fell in leaping a ditch, and the duke was thrown. As the French were hotly upon them, another moment and he must have been taken, but captain Molesworth, one of his aide-de-camps, mounted him on his own horse. As he was in the act of springing into the saddle, a cannon ball took off the head of colonel Brenfield, who held the stirrup; but Marlborough himself escaped, and regained the main body unhurt, except for a few bruises. Meantime Auverquerque, with the Dutch guards, and by help of the Danes, had succeeded in driving