areschal Vendosme and the Duke of Matignon to
aid him in the campaign. Holtz, who knew everything that was passing
in Flanders and France (and the Indies for what I know), insisted that
there would be no more fighting in 1708 than there had been in the
previous year, and that our commander had reasons for keeping him quiet.
Indeed, Esmond's general, who was known as a grumbler, and to have a
hearty mistrust of the great Duke, and hundreds more officers besides,
did not scruple to say that these private reasons came to the Duke
in the shape of crown-pieces from the French King, by whom the
Generalissimo was bribed to avoid a battle. There were plenty of men in
our lines, quidnuncs, to whom Mr. Webb listened only too willingly, who
could specify the exact sums the Duke got, how much fell to Cadogan's
share, and what was the precise fee given to Doctor Hare.

And the successes with which the French began the campaign of 1708
served to give strength to these reports of treason, which were in
everybody's mouth. Our general allowed the enemy to get between us and
Ghent, and declined to attack him, though for eight and forty hours the
armies were in presence of each other. Ghent was taken, and on the same
day Monsieur de la Mothe summoned Bruges; and these two great cities
fell into the hands of the French without firing a shot. A few days
afterwards La Mothe seized upon the fort of Plashendall: and it began
to be supposed that all Spanish Flanders, as well as Brabant, would fall
into the hands of the French troops; when the Prince Eugene arrived from
the Mozelle, and then there was no more shilly-shallying.

The Prince of Savoy always signalized his arrival at the army by a great
feast (my Lord Duke's entertainments were both seldom and shabby): and
I remember our general returning from this dinner with the two
commanders-in-chief; his honest head a little excited by wine, which
was dealt out much more liberally by the Austrian than by the English
commander:--"Now," says my general, slapping the table, with an oath,
"he must fight; and when he is forced to it, d--- it, no man in Europe
can stand up against Jack Churchill." Within a week the battle of
Oudenarde was fought, when, hate each other as they might, Esmond's
general and the Commander-in-Chief were forced to admire each other, so
splendid was the gallantry of each upon this day.

The brigade commanded by Major-General Webb gave and received about
as hard knocks as a