Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 4.djvu/270

 2l8 Anno quinto Ann^ Regin^. A. D. 1706. Battle ofSchel- lenbergh. Battle of Elein- hcim. Honour t)f Woodftock, &0-. Tenure, tines for-ced. Battle of Ram«l- ities. in the firft Year of your Majefty's Reign, the faid Duke of Marlborough had fo well executed his Com- miffion of Captain General and Conimamler in Chief of your Majefty's Forces, that he not only fecured and .extended the Frontier of //i5//<7?zij/, by taking the Towns and Fortreffes of F(?«/fl, Ruremond, Steven- fwart and Liege, but foon obliged the Enemy, (who had been at the Gates of Nemeghen) to feek Shelter behind their Lines ; and in the next Campaign, by taking Bon, Huy, and Limhiirg, added all the Coun- try between the Rhine and the Maes to the Conquefts of the preceding Year; and that in the memora- ble Year one thoufand feven hui;dred and four, when your Majefty was generoufly pleafed to take the Refolution of refcaing the Empire from that immediate Ruin, to v/hich, by the Defection of the Elec- tor of Bavaria, it xvas expofed, the A^Ieafures, which by your Majefty's Wifdom and Goodnefs had been devifed and concerted, were purfued by the faid Duke with the utmoft Diligence, Secrecy, and good.GonducSt, in leading the Forces of your Majefty and your Allies, by a long and difficult March, to the Banks of the Danube; where the faid Duke immediately upon his Arrival did attack and force the Bavarians, (affifted bv tiie Freiieh) in their ftrong Intrenchments at Schelle?ibergh, palled the Danube, diftreffed the Country of Bavaria, and a fecond Time fought the Enemy, who had been reinforced by a Royal Army of the French King's beft Troops, commanded by a Marflial oi France, and on the fecond Day oi Auguji one thoufand feven hundred and fo!»r, after a bloody Battle at Bleinheim, f although the Enemy had the Advantage of Number and Situation) gain'd the moft abfolute and glorious Victory as had been recorded in the Hiftory of any Age, by which Bavaria being intirely reduced, and Ratisbon, Augsboiirgh, Vim, Mem7ninghen, and other Imperial Towns recovered, the Liberty of the Diet and the Peace of the Empire were reftored, and Landau, Treeves, and Traarhach being taken, the War was car- ried into the Dominions of France ; all which happy Atchievements of the faid Duke apparently t:nded, not only to the Honour and Safety of your Majefty and your Subjects, and of their Pofterity, but alfo towards the future Tranquillity of Em'cpe; and that your Majefty's moftSutiful and loyal Subjects, the Commons of Ettgland in Parliament aflembled, thought themfelves thereupon obliged in an humble Ad- drefs to your Majefty, to exprefs their Sehfe of the faid glorious Vidlories, and humbly to defire your Majefty, That you would be gracioufly pleafed to confider of fome proper Means to perpetuate the Me- mory of fuch fignal Services ; and that your Majefty was thereupon pleafed to fignify your Intention to grant the Intereft of the Crown in the Honour and Manor oi TVoodJhck and Hundred oiWootton to the faid Duke and his Heirs ; whereupon at the humble Petition of your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal Commons, it was enadled. That it fliould and might be lawful to and for your Majefty by any Letters Patents, under the Great Seal oi England, to give and grant unto the faid ^'isfoz Duke oi "Marlborough, and his Heirs and Afligns for ever, all that the faid Honour and Manor of Woodftock, and the Hundred oiWooUon, and the Park of Woodjhck in the County of Ojr»«, and divers other Manors, Mefluages, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, in the faid recited A£l particularly mentioned or defcribed ; to be held of your Majefty, your Heirs and Succeflbrs, as of your Caftle of Wind/or, in free and com- mon Soccage, by Fealty, rendring to your Majefty, your Heirs and Succeflbrs, on the fecond Day of Aitguft yearly for ever, at your faid Caftle of Windfor, one Standard or Colours with three Flower de Luces painted thereupon, for all Manner of Rents, Services, Exaftions, and Demands wiiatfoever: In. pursuance of which faid Aft of Parliament, your Majefty by your Letters Patents, bearing Date the fifth Day of May in the fourth Year of your Majefty's Reign, was gracioufly pleafed to grant all that the faid Honour and Manor of TVoodJlock and Hundred of IVootton, and divers other Manors, Mef- fuages, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, in the faid Letters Patents particularly mentioned, or defcribed, to the faid Duke of Marlborough, his Heirs and Affigns for ever : And whereas in the Beginning of the Year one thoufand feven hundred and five, the faid Duke of Marlborough led your Majefty's Forces, and thofe of the Allies, to the Mofelle, where, by the Progrefs made in the preceding Year, a fair Profpedl was afforded of removing the War from the Countries of your Allies, into the Enemy's own Territories, but that great Defign, through unforefeen Accidents, was rendred impraftica- ble ; and the Enemy taking Advantage of the Remotenefs of our faid General, and the Troops under his Command, prefs'd the Armies of the States General, which were left for the Defence of their Fron- tiers, with a fuperior Force : On this extraordinary Occafion, the Duke fhew'd all the Parts of a great Captain, and at the fame Time the Zeal he had for your Majefty's Service, and true Regard to your Allies ; by a fpeedy March he returned to the Maes, where a new Face of Aff^iirs immediately appear- ed, and your Majefty's good Allies the States General Were delivered from the Uneafinefs they were under, Lei'ge was relieved, Huy retaken, and the Enemies obliged to retire behind their Lines, which they thought impregnable : But the faid Duke, with a furprizing Conduft and Bravery, on the feventh Day oi yuly one thoufand feven hundred and five, with an inconfiderable Lofs, forced the fame, defeat- ed great Part of the Enemy's Forces, and obliged their whole Army to a precipitate Retreat ; and al- though all the Advantages were not obtained which the Duke had propofed to himfelf from that Succefs,- yet it confirmed the Minds of your Majefty's Allies, and produced that happy Confequence of the Duke's being intrufted with fuch a Power, as gave him an Opportunity of performing thofe great Ani- ons, which were executed in the laft glorious Campaign ; in which the Enemy confiding in the Superi- ority of their Army, compofed of their choiceft Troops, gave the Duke of Marlbororough an Opportunity of attacking thern, which he did at Ramdlies, on the twelfth Day of May one thoufand feven hundred and fix, with fuch Refolution and Conduct, that in two Hours Time he obtained a moft compleat and glorious Victory, and profecuted his Advantage widiout any Intermiflion during the whole Campaign : . 'I'he Battle of i2i»OTfZ//'af was followed by the immediate Surrender of Z,5«w«z?2, Bruffels, Malines, Licre, Gant, Oudenard, Antwerp^ Dam, B) ugesp and Courtray, and the taking of 0/hnd, Menin, Dmdermond,
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