ng
assembled a body of thirty-six battalions, marched towards Arras,
which he reduced to a heap of ashes by a most terrible cannonading and
bombardment. In May the duke of Ormond conferred with the deputies of
the states-general at the Hague, and assured them that he had orders to
act vigorously in the prosecution of the war. He joined prince Eugene at
Tournay; and on the twenty-sixth day of May, the allied army passing the
Schelde, encamped at Haspre and Solemnes. The Imperial general proposed
that they should attack the French army under Villars; but by this time
the duke was restrained from hazarding a siege or battle; a circumstance
well known to the French commander, who therefore abated of his usual
vigilance. It could not be long concealed from prince Eugene and the
deputies, who forthwith despatched an express to their principals on
this subject, and afterwards presented a long memorial to the duke,
representing the injury which the grand alliance would sustain from
his obedience of such an order. He seemed to be extremely uneasy at his
situation; and in a letter to secretary St. John, expressed a desire
that the queen would permit him to return to England.

Prince Eugene, notwithstanding the queen's order, which Ormond had
not yet formally declared, invested the town of Quesnoy, and the duke
furnished towards this enterprise seven battalions and nine squadrons
of the foreign troops maintained by Great Britain. The Dutch deputies
at Utrecht expostulating with the bishop of Bristol upon the duke's
refusing to act against the enemy, that prelate told them that he had
lately received an express, with a letter from her majesty, in which she
complained, that, as the states-general had not properly answered her
advances, they ought not to be surprised if she thought herself at
liberty to enter into separate measures in order to obtain a peace for
her own conveniency. When they remonstrated against such conduct as
contradictory to all the alliances subsisting between the queen and the
states-general, the bishop declared his instructions further imported,
that considering the conduct of the states towards her majesty, she
thought herself disengaged from all alliances and engagements with
their high mightinesses. The states and the ministers of the allies were
instantly in commotion. Private measures were concerted with the elector
of Hanover, the landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, and some other princes of the
empire, concernin