Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 3.djvu/372

364 of the kingdom. The next, and some ensuing campaigns, farther additional forces were allowed by parliament for the war in Flanders; and in every new supply, the Dutch gradually lessened their proportions, although the parliament addressed the queen, that the States might be desired to observe them according to agreement; which had no other effect, than to teach them to elude it by making their troops nominal corps; as they did, by keeping up the number of regiments, but sinking a fifth part of the men and money; so that now things are just inverted. And in all new levies, we contributed a third more than the Dutch, who, at first, were obliged to the same proportion more than we.

Besides, the more towns we conquer for the States, the worse condition we are in toward reducing the common enemy, and consequently of putting an end to the war. For they make no scruple of employing the troops of their quota, toward garrisoning every town, as fast as it is taken; directly contrary to the agreement between us, by which all garrisons are particularly excluded. This is at length arrived, by several steps, to such a height, that there are at present in the field, not so many forces under the duke of Marlborough's command in Flanders, as Britain alone maintains for that service, nor have been for some years past.

The duke of Marlborough, having entered the enemy's lines and taken Bouchain, formed the design of keeping so great a number of troops, and particularly of cavalry, in Lisle, Tournay, Douay, and the country between, as should be able to harass all the neighbouring provinces of France during the winter, prevent the enemy from erecting their zines,