Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 10.djvu/339

 run. The duchess meanwhile carried on her quarrel with the queen by threatening to leave the court. She asked leave to resi her offices in favour of her two elder daughters. The queen professed kindness and said they should never part, promising that even in that case the daughters should have the laces. The duchess afterwards wrote angry letters, recalling this promise, and showing a spirit which made any friendly communication impossible (, ii. 401-2).

Marlborough again left for Holland at the end of March. He met Eugene and concerted a plan of campaign. It was decided that Eugene should take command of an army ostensibly intended to act on the Moselle, while it was secretly resolved that they should combine for an attack upon the French in Holland before preparations for resistance were completed. The French meanwhile were making great efforts, and the Duke of Burgundy was appointed to command with Vendôme in the Netherlands. Marlborough took command of the army near Brussels after troublesome negotiations with the elector of Hanover, who made difficulties about the diversion of his contingent from the Rhine, and was afterwards offended by not having been trusted with the secret of the campaign. Marlborough was delayed by the slowness with which the promised reinforcements were supplied to Eugene, and his own forces were not assembled till the end of May. The French advanced while he moved to cover Brussels and Louvain. It was not till 2 July that Marlborough was able to announce to the States his plans for a junction with Eugene, who was only then able to move. Meanwhile the French had made a bold strike for the recovery of their lost ground. The cities of Bruges and Ghent were discontented with their new masters, and had entered into communications with the French commanders. After distracting Marlborough by feints towards Louvain, the French suddenly moved upon the Dender and sent detachments to Ghent and to Bruges, to which place they were immediately admitted on 5 July. Vendôme proposed in the next place to take Oudenarde, the onl place held by Marlborough on the Scheldt. The English would thus lose the advantages won in 1706 of a command of the Scheldt, and be cut off from communication with England through Ostend. The Duke of Burgundy wished to occupy the heights above Oudenarde, and to besiege Menin on the Lys in their rear (see ‘Berwick' in, lxv. 115). Marlborough, whose anxiety brought on an attack of fever, threw a small force into Oudenarde, and heard from the governor that the town had been invested ‘on both sides on 9 July’ (, ii. 467). This appears to have been only a demonstration by a French force under Chemerault (see, v. 493). The French at the same time moved upon a strong position at Lessines on the Dender, with a view to defending the passage of that river, and so covering a siege of Oudenarde. Marlborough was at this moment joined by Eugene, whose army was following at a distance. He sent a force under Cadogan which succeeded in reaching Lessines just in time to anticipate the French. They then resolved to adopt the other plan, and take up the position behind Oudenarde, crossing the Scheldt at Gavre, two leagues below the town, where Chemerault rejoined them. Marlborough and Eugene left Lessines in the morning of 11 July 1708, made a rapid march of fifteen miles upon Oudenarde, and struck the French army while still on the march. The advanced column under Cadogan reached the Scheldt at half-past ten, and discovered the French crossing at Gavre. Cadogan crossed the river and be an a skirmish with the French cavalry. The French commanders were still at cross purposes. While Vendôme proposed to form a line across the plain in front of Oudenarde, the Duke of Burgundy gave counter orders with the intention of filling back upon Ghent or taking up a more distant position on a high ground separated by the stream of the Norken from the nearer plains. Some of the French brigades thus became isolated, and Marlborough and Eugene were able to attack them before the confusion could be remedied. Other misunderstandings followed, with the result that the French right became opposed to superior forces and was ultimately surrounded and completely crushed. The fighting continued till nightfall, and the French, with a loss of some twenty thousand including deserters, fell back in complete disorder upon Ghent, where they entrenched themselves. Eugene returned to Brussels to hasten the advance of his army, while Marlborough sent a detachment which seized a French position near Ypres and followed with the main army to encamp at Werwick, near Menin. Some hesitation followed as to future movements. It was at first proposed to recover Ghent. So long as it was held by the French, the allies could not use the Scheldt or the Lys for the transport of cannon. On the other hand, the French might be forced to abandon Ghent for the sake of their own territory if he could threaten an invasion of France. Marlborough was inclined for a direct advance into France (Despatches, iv. 129), but, Eugene thinking this impracticable, it was unanimously determined (ib. p. 146) to