Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 10.djvu/334

 of Sirk. Marlborough, by a forced march, seized a counter-position, offered battle, and waited for reinforcements and supplies. Meanwhile, Villeroy took the offensive on the Meuse. He retook Huy on 1 June, and then occupied the town of Liège and invested the citadel. Ouwerkerk could only look on from Maestricht; the Dutch became alarmed; and Marlborough found it necessary to abandon the Moselle and come to their help, hoping still to return in 'six weeks' (Marlborough Despatches, ii. 102-14). Grievously disappointed at losing the chance of a 'glorious campaign,' he suddenly decamped (17 June 1705) from his position and moved upon Liège. The French retired, and Marlborough, having joined Ouwerkerk, began by recovering Huy, which surrendered 11 July. Marlborough now determined to invade Brabant. During the last three years the French had been erecting a formidable series of lines to guard against invasion from the line of the Meuse, which Marlborough had occupied since his first campaign. Entrenchments ran from a point on the Meuse below Namur to Leuwe on the little Gheet. Rivers formed a natural defence as far as Aerschot, and thence other lines extended to Antwerp. Villars lay behind these lines with seventy thousand men, and supported by the great fortresses. Marlborough succeeded in obtaining permission from the Dutch to make the attack, though violently opposed by Slangenberg. By a skilful feint he attracted Villeroy to one quarter, while he made a sudden movement in another direction. The lines were carried near Tirlemont before any effectual opposition could be made. The French had to fall back towards Louvain, and took up a strong position behind the Dyle. A heavy flood delayed operations and gave them time to fortify. Marlborough then made a fresh advance, and had pushed a Dutch division successfully across the Dyle, when, to his disgust, the Dutch generals, especially Slangenberg, became alarmed and ordered it to retire. Marlborough made one more effort. Leaving detachments at Tirlemont, he marched with provisions for a few days, moved round the sources of the Dyle, and advanced against the French, who abandoned the Dyle and took up a position to cover Brussels. Marlborough now proposed an attack, in which he would have nearly occupied the position of Napoleon at Waterloo, at which place a skirmish actually took place. The Dutch generals, among whom Slangenberg was again conspicuous, persuaded the deputies that the attack was too hazardous (ib. ii. 229). Marlborough had to fall back, inexpressibly mortified, and gained nothing by his expedition but the destruction of the lines. He talked of resigning or refusing to serve again with the Dutch. He recovered his self-command as usual, and judiciously objected to a proposed mission of Lord Pembroke to the Hague to protest against the mismanagement of the Dutch generals. Public opinion came to his side. The Dutch minister in England apologised, and Slangenberg was turned out of the army. The winter again called for active negotiations. The French had made overtures to Holland which alarmed Godolphin and the court of Vienna. The Duke of Savoy had been supported by Eugene with the eight thousand Prussians obtained through Marlborough, but was appealing for help. The emperor could not help him without a loan from England or Holland. Marlborough was entreated to go to Vienna to arrange this and other difficulties. He left the army 26 Oct., reached Vienna 12 Nov., received his principality, smoothed matters between the various allies, and exerted his influence and his private credit in raising a loan. He then travelled to Berlin, where the king was in a state of irritability, requiring some pacification, visited the Electress Sophia and her son at Hanover, and returned to the Hague 11 Dec. to stimulate the fulfilment by the Dutch ministers of the promises made in their name at Vienna.

The victory of Blenheim had greatly strengthened the war party in England. The extreme tories were not the less irritated by every concession to the whigs. In October Anne, acting under Marlborough's advice, had yielded to Godolphin's entreaties and gratified the whigs by transferring the chancellorship from Wright to Cowper. The tories were irritated that so much ecclesiastical patronage should be entrusted to a whig. A pamphlet called 'The Memorial of the Church of England,' traced to James Drake [q. v.], accused Marlborough and Godolphin of treachery to the church. Marlborough 'could not forbear laughing,' as he tells his colleague (, i. 515), when they of all men were accused of fanaticism. He was, however, stung by the libel; a prosecution was instituted, which failed on technical grounds; but a clergyman, Stephens, who had taken part in the controversy, was convicted of libel and sentenced to the pillory, a penalty which was remitted at Marlborough's request upon the author's submission. The cry of danger to the church was raised in the parliament which met in October 1705. The whigs, however, had now at last a decided majority, and it was decided that the church was perfectly safe. The tories tried a more ingenious manœuvre, by moving (15 Nov.) that the Electress Sophia should be invited