Far from yielding as the enemy expected, they raised a cry of treachery against their timid magistrates, as the friends and abettors of France, and turned for help to their neverfailing deliverers in peril, the House of Orange. As in 1672, the head of that House was proclaimed Stadtholder by almost universal acclamation. The revo lution commenced in Zealand; but rapidly spreading from province to province, was achieved and completed within a few days. Even at the Hague, the magistrates, surrounded by an immense and raging multitude, and timid for themselves as they had been for the state, could only purchase their own safety by waving the Orange standard, a symbol of their recognition, from the palace windows.* Prince William of Nassau was acknowledged as Stadtholder, Captain General, and Lord High Admiral, with the same extended powers which had been en oyed by his kinsman and name-sake, William the Third, and which had lain dormant since his death. Nay, more, he was enabled, some time afterwards, to guard against a similar lapse in future, by a law rendering these dignities hereditary to his children; and thus changing the constitution to a limited monarchy in fact, though not, as yet, in name.

The fall of the old decrepit government, and the acces sion of a young and popular prince, son-in-law of the King of England, seemed a happy omen for the vigorous prosecution of the war. There did, indeed, ensue no small accession of administrative energy, and of military means. Unfortunately, however, when the Prince of Orange took the field at the head of the Dutch army, he was found ignorant of tactics, and jealous of his more practised, but not less overbearing brother, the Duke of Cumberland. According to Mr. Pelham, "Our two young "heroes agree but little. Our own is open, frank, reso"lute, and perhaps hasty; the other assuming, pedantic, "ratiocinating, and tenacious. . . . In what a situation "then are we! We must pray for the best, for direct it 66 we cannot...... We have nothing to do, but to make "up the present quarrels, get a little breathing time;

* Siècle de Louis XV. ch. xxiii,

1747.

BATTLE OF LAUFFELD.

333

"and then, perhaps, some people may come to their 66 senses, or some senses may come to them."*

It was this disunion in the allied army that caused it a check on the 2d of July, at the village of Lauffeld, in front of Maestricht. The Dutch, in the centre, gave way and fled; the Austrians, on the right, under Marshal Bathiany, would not move from their fortified position; so that the entire brunt of the battle fell upon the British, on the left. Assailed by the whole French army, which was animated by the presence of Louis, and directed by the genius of De Saxe, the Duke of Cumberland could not long maintain his ground: he effected his retreat, however, in good order, leading the troops to a new and strong position behind the Meuse. They lost four standards; but, notwithstanding their repulse, they captured six. The number of killed and wounded, on both sides, was great, and nearly equal. Marshal de Saxe afterwards owned, that his victory had cost him no less than 8000 foot and 1000 horse.† "The great misfortune of our position," writes the Duke of Cumberland, was, "that our right wing was so strongly posted, that they "could neither be attacked nor make a diversion; for I 66 am assured that Marshal Bathiany would have done all "in his power to sustain me, or attack the enemy."‡ Both commanders showed high personal gallantry in the foremost ranks; the Marshal being once nearly taken prisoner, and the Duke also once mixed with a squadron of French horse. The English horse suffered severely from their own ardour; they broke at first whatever stood before them; but hurrying on too far, were outflanked by columns of foot, when their body was with great slaughter repulsed, and their chief, Sir John Ligonier, taken. The King of France gave a favourable reception to that officer, who had been his subject by birth, but alienated from his country by the fanatic persecution of the Protestants. "Would it not be better," said Louis,

66

*To Mr. Walpole, August 14. 1747.

66

† Sir Everard Fawkener, Military Secretary to Sir Thomas Robinson, July 16. 1747.

Despatch to the Earl of Chesterfield, July 3. 1747.

"to think seriously of peace, instead of beholding the de"struction of so many brave troops?"*

Pursuing his success, the French commander detached Count Löwendahl, who, at the head of 30,000 men, rapidly traversed Brabant, and unexpectedly invested Berg-op-Zoom. This fortress, the key of Holland on that side, and the master-piece of the celebrated Cohorn, was, besides its strong works and its numerous garrison, connected with an intrenched camp which 12,000 troops defended. Although the trenches were opened in the middle of July, it was not till the beginning of September that breaches, and those only slight ones, were effected in the walls; but the governor, Baron Cronstrom, a veteran of fourscore, unfortunately relied so much on the strength of the place as to neglect the usual precautions for security; and thus Berg-op-Zoom was taken by surprise on the 15th of September, with very slight resistance from the garrison. This disaster closed the campaign, the French reserving the siege of Maestricht for the opening of the next, and taking up quarters in their new conquests; while the English and Dutch occupied the neighbourhood of Breda. It is difficult to describe what melancholy apprehensions then prevailed in the British councils. Mr. Pelham writes to the Duke of Cumberland: 66 - we are told every day to exert, to arm, "and to augment. The advice, Sir, is certainly good; "but are we not almost brought to the necessity of "answering, as King William said to the man who ad"vised him to change hands, 'Tell Wyndham to "change hands,' who had but one? Is not our case, Sir, 66 near to that? Have we not gone almost as far as we are able? Are there many more troops to be had?

The

* Siècle de Louis XV. ch. xxvi. Voltaire charitably hints that Ligonier might have been put to death by way of reprisal. "Des "Ecossais, officiers au service de France, avaient péri par le dernier "supplice en Angleterre dans l'infortune du Prince Charles Edouard." -It is said that Ligonier, when surrounded in the battle, endeavoured for some time to pass for one of the enemy's officers, and even led the French troops with great alertness to an attack, in the hope of effecting his escape; but, unfortunately, the order of the Bath being observed under his coat, he was recognised and secured. See Coxe's Pelham, vol. i. p. 360,

1747.

66

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE.

335

"Russians the King has ordered (to the number of 30,000) to be taken into our pay, if they will come. "To the Danes intimations are given also; but is there "the least reason to think His Majesty will be successful "in that generous attempt? And last of all, in case he "should succeed, what will they cost? And how shall 66 we get the money ?" *

Happily, however, the French were not less inclined for peace, and availed themselves of Ligonier's captivity as an opening towards it. After a few vague remarks from Louis, De Saxe had several confidential discourses with Sir John. The Marshal said that the King, his master, did not love war;- that he, the Marshal, as little desired to continue it;-that the whole French nation hated him;- that were he to meet with one misfortune, the King himself could not protect him; that he had already all the honour he wished for, and all the rewards for his services that he could ask, or the King grant; that, in this situation, broken as he was also in his health, he could not but feel eager for a peace, and that he knew his master did likewise. He, at last, proceeded to tell Ligonier, that the King of France desired he would return to the Duke of Cumberland, and assure His Royal Highness, in his name, of his wish to put an end to the -that he thought this object would be best attained by themselves at the head of their respective armies; that he knew the honour of the Duke too well to imagine he would engage in any thing without his Allies;-but that, as the two armies would soon withdraw to winterquarters, there would be time for His Royal Highness to receive the opinion of those Allies; - and that he doubted not but they would have the wisdom to trust their interests to His Royal Highness's hands. "As to the King "of France," De Saxe added, "he looks to nothing for "himself; he is willing to restore all Flanders as it now "is, except Furnes, which he expects to keep if you insist on the total demolition of Dunkirk; but if you will let "that harbour remain as it is, he will then desire nothing "but the restitution of Cape Breton." Even this resti

war;

66

*Letter, September 8. 1747, O. S., written on the news of the taking of Berg-op-Zoom.

66

tution was only proposed as an exchange for Madras, which the French had lately succeeded in wresting from the English. "Genoa," continued the French Marshal, ought to be restored, if taken, to the Republic, and the "Duke of Modena reinstated in his own dominions; and Spain must, for the honour of France, be included and "considered." All other details were skilfully passed over as easy of adjustment.*

66

These unexpected overtures produced much pleasure, but some perplexity, in England. The Duke of Cumberland, who transmitted them, was eager to retain in his own hands the honour of negotiation, and the King showed no less anxiety to gratify his favourite son; while, on the other hand, the Ministers trembled at his well-known violence of temper, and total inexperience in diplomatic affairs. It was apprehended that the secret object of France might perhaps be only to sow jealousies amongst the Allies, or to inveigle the hasty Duke into the signature of rash and ill-judged preliminaries. At length the Ministers consented to entrust the nominal negotiation to His Royal Highness; but prevailed upon the King that the Earl of Sandwich, already employed as plenipotentiary in the Breda conferences, should be sent to head-quarters as the assistant (the Court phrase for director) of the Duke. Sandwich accordingly hastened over to Holland, and had a secret interview at Liege with the Marquis de Puisieulx, the French Minister of foreign affairs. Nothing was decided between them as to the terms of a peace, but it was agreed to take the negotiation from military hands, and refer it to a Congress to be held at Aix la Chapelle.

for

It soon appeared, however, that the wishes of the Allies peace were not sincere or not lasting. The Empress Queen, irritated at the conduct of the French, in commencing and urging the war, was not willing to close it without some signal triumph, or solid advantage, over them. The Prince of Orange and Duke of Cumberland, much as they differed on other points, agreed in a thirst of military fame, and a consequent desire of further military operations. George the Second was anxious, at this

*Mr. Pelham to Mr. Walpole, July 30. 1747.