d they were moreover
escorted by fifty troopers, who rode along the bank of the river. The
large boat outsailed the other, and the horsemen mistook their way in
the dark. A French partisan, with five-and-thirty men from Gueldres, who
lurked among the rushes in wait for prey, seized the rope by which
the boat was drawn, hauled it ashore, discharged their small arms and
hand-grenades, then rushing into it, secured the soldiers before they
could put themselves in a posture of defence. The earl of Marlborough
was accompanied by general Opdam, and mynheer Gueldermalsen, one of the
deputies, who were provided with passports. The earl had neglected this
precaution; but recollecting he had an old passport for his brother
general Churchill, he produced it without any emotion, and the partisan
was in such confusion that he never examined the date. Nevertheless, he
rifled their baggage, carried off the guard as prisoners, and allowed
the boat to proceed. The governor of Venlo receiving information that
the earl was surprised by a party and conveyed to Gueldres, immediately
marched out with his whole garrison to invest that place. The same
imperfect account being transmitted to Holland, filled the whole
province with consternation. The states forthwith assembling, resolved
that all their forces should march immediately to Gueldres, and threaten
the garrison of the place with the utmost extremities unless they would
immediately deliver the general. But, before these orders could be
despatched, the earl arrived at the Hague, to the inexpressible joy of
the people, who already looked upon him as their saviour and protector.

THE IMPERIALISTS ARE WORSTED AT FEIDLINGUEN.

The French arms were not quite so unfortunate on the Rhine as in
Flanders. The elector of Bwaria surprised the city of Ulm in Suabia by a
stratagem, and then declared for France, which had by this time complied
with all his demands. The diet of the empire assembled at Batisbon were
so incensed at his conduct in seizing the city of Ulm by perfidy, that
they presented a memorial to his Imperial majesty, requesting he would
proceed against the elector according to the constitutions of the
empire. They resolved, by a plurality of voices, to declare war in the
name of the empire against the French king and the duke of Anjou, for
having invaded several fiefs of the empire in Italy, the archbishopric
of Cologn, and the diocese of Liege; and they forbade the ministers
o