to change, on that Side, towards the end of the Year 1707, Count Merci, who ferved under his Electoral Highness, having defeated a confiderable Body of French Troops, commanded by the Marquefs de

Vivans:

The next Year, (1708) the Elector of Bavaria, to whom the French trusted the Command of their Army on the Rhine, feem'd to have fome great Project in View, towards the retrieving of his broken Fortunes = But being obliged to make a ftrong Detachment, to reinforce the French Army in Flanders; as Prince Eugene did that of the Confederates with the Imperia lifts, Palatines and Heffians, the Duke of Bavaria was not in a Condition to undertake any thing; And the Elector of Hanover, tho' with indifferent Troops, little better than a raw Militia, ill paid, and worfe provided, yet baffled his Antagonist's Defigns of penetrating into Germany; and kept him fo at Bay, as to hinder him from fending further Reinforcements to the Dukes of Burgundy and Vendofme, who, by this Time, had been totally defeated at Oudenarde.

In this Battle the ELECTORAL PRINCE of HANOVER, fignalized his Heroical Courage and undaunted Spirit, early fhewing he was deftin'd, one Day, to govern a martial and warlike Nation.

In the Year 1709, the Campaign on the Rhine began very late; and the Army of the Empire, being, as usual, weak and unprovided with Neceffaries, General Thungen, who commanded it when it was firft affembled at Mulhbergh, was not in a Condition, either to carry on the Defign of invading Burgundy, which was timely difcover'd and difappointed by the French; or to under. take any thing elfe. Nor was the Elector of BRUNSWICK, afterwards, more fortunate; for his Electoral Highness having detach'd Count Merci, with a ftrong Body of Troops to make an Irruption into Upper Alface, that General was, on the 26th of August, N. S. totally defeated by and oblig'd to repafs the Rhine, and to retire to Friburgh, with part of his Horse,the reft, with most of his Foot, having been either kill'd or taken Prisoners.

This Difgrace, at last, open'd the Eyes and kindled the juft Refentment of the Elector of BRUNSWICK: His generous Spirit could no longer brook to a a Part, fo unbecoming a Prince of his high Rank, as to fuffer a Diminution of his Reputation, at the Head of the Riff-Raff Militia of the Circles, whilft his own well difciplin'd Troops were wantonly facrificed in the Netherlands, to taile the Fame of other Generals. He thought he had already done enough, and, indeed, more than enough, to prove his Zeal for the Common Caufe of Europe; and his particular Deference to Queen ANNE, and therefore he fully refolv'd, to lay down the Command of the Army of the Empire. Hereupon He wrote a Letter to the Emperor, importing,

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That his Electoral Highnefs had heartily wifh'd, that the Affairs of the Empire had been put into fuch a Pofture, that he might have caufe to promife himfelf fome Honour in the Command of the Imperial Army, and to procure fome Advantage to the • Common Caufe, for which he would willingly, ac any Time, venture his Perfon; but that he had fuf'ficient Reasons to believe, that the Duke of Wirtembergh would not be brought to acknowledge, that he had intrench'd on the Prerogatives of his Electoral Highness as Generaliffimo of the Empire, and to give him due Satisfaction for the fame, because the Minifter of that Duke, and thofe of the Circle of Suabia, had declared in the Diet of Ratisbon, that they were fo far from acknowledging the Pretenfions of his Electoral Highnefs, that they were refolv'd to maintain what they had done." The Ele&tor added, That the Reinforcement, of Eleven Thousand Men, promised by his Imperial Majefty, must be look’d upon as uncertain; it being very well known, that the Regiments appointed for that Service, were not Compleat, and therefore it was hardly poffible to re'cruit them Time enough, to enable them to take the Field, and act in Concert with the Confederate Forces in the Netherlands: That the Military Chest of the Empire would be this year lefs provided with Money, than in the preceding Campaign; because it was plain, trom the Proceedings of the Diet of RaK

risbon,

tisbon, that few, if any States, were willing freely to contribute towards it, and that it was neither advifeable, nor even practicable, to compel by Military Execution, the feveral Potent Princes, who, .6 upon Pietence that they had Troops in the Service of the Allies, and other groundlefs Excufes, refus'd to fend their Quotas of Men to the Upper Rhine; and to furnish their Refpective Contingencies of Money, without which it was impoffible to carry on the Operations of War. His Electoral Highnefs concluded from thefe, and some other Particulars, that their Deficiency of Troops and Money, would be as great, and greater, than in the former Campaigns, and the • Contradictions in the Command, as difagreeable and prejudicial as ever. And thereof he hop'd, that his Imperial Majefty having duly weigh'd the fame, would not infift that he fhould again take upon him a Command, from which he could not promife himfelf any Honour, nor the Publick expect any Advantage." Hereupon Count Gronsfelt, as Imperial General, took upon him the Command of the Army of the Empire, which remain'd Unactive all the Campaign, of the Year 1710.

The Chapter of Hildesheim, a City in the Circle of the Lower Saxony, having fome Years before, in a moft violent Manner,molefted the Proteftants fettled in that Bishoprick, the Elector of Hanover thought himself oblig'd in Conscience, to use his Intereft for the Relief of thofe diftreffed People; and his powerful Interpofition produced a Convention between his Ele&toral Highness and the Chapter; whereby it was agreed, that the faid Proteftants fhould, for the future, enjoy their Civil and Religious Liberties, according to the Treaties of Westphalia. This Agreement was pretty well obferv'd, for about Four Years; but as it is the general Maxim of the Popish Clergy, to keep their Faith with thofe they call Hereticks, no longer than it fuits with their Conveniency, the Chapter of Hildesheim feeing the Elector of Hanover intent on the grand Affairs of Chriftendom; thought this a proper Opportunity to perfecute again the Proteftants in their Diftrict, fondly hoping, that his Electoral Highness would

would either overlook, or not refent it. They found themselves mistaken: For the Elector having first admonished them to forbear thofe Violences, refolv'd,

upon

their Refufal, to make use of Force to reprefs their turbulent Spirits. Hereupon, about the beginning of the Year 1711, he caus'd the Town and Castle of Paine, and afterwards the City of Hildesheim to be feiz'd by his Troops, and order'd, at the fame Time, his Minifters at London, Berlin, the Hague, and other Courts, to notify, that as foon as the Chapter had redrefs'd the Grievances of the Proteftants, he would withdraw his Forces from that City and Bishoprick, of which he never defign'd to keep Poffeffion. The Chapter hereupon thought it prudence to give the Elector entire Satisfaction, by renewing the Agreement abovemention'd; upon which his Electoral Highness gave a noble Proof of his Integrity and Sincerity, by immediately withdrawing his Forces from that Bishoprick.

The Court of Great Britain having, by this time, entred into a clandeftine Negotiation of Peace with France, the Elector of HANOVER thought fit to interpofe in an Affair which fo highly affected the Common Cause, in general, and which fo nearly concern'd Him in particular: Hereupon his Electoral Highnefs caufed Baron Bothmer, his Envoy Extraordinary at the British Court, to prefent a long MEMORIAL, (the Substance of which his Electoral Highness had dictated himself to Mr. Robethon) reprefenting to Her Britannick Majefty, the Neceffity of preferving a perfect

UNION between the ALLIES, while the Peace 'fhould be treating of their giving each other a mutual GUARANTY upon what fhould therein be concluded, and fhewing the pernicious Confequences if Spain and the Indies were left to the Duke of Anjou. This Memorial, as it directly exploded the prefent Scheme of Peace, gave no fmall Offence to the British Ministry, who being intoxicated with their Power, fhewed no manner of regard to that wholfom Reprefentation, and even endeavour'd to keep it from the Queen's Knowledge. But the Memorial having been publish'd in print, and laid before her Majefty

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inby

*In July 1712.

by the Duke of Somerset, the British Minifters bèthought themselves of fending Mr. Thomas Harley, a Relation of the Lord Treafurer, upon an Embaffy to Hanover, to endeavour to perfuade the ELECTOR to come into their Measures. Mr. Harley wheedled and cajoled as much as his Capacity would permit ; and amongst other Arguments told his Electoral Highness, That his Standing out would do him an Injury in the Minds of the People, who were efet upon Peace: But the Elector remain'd firm in the Sentiments, he had exprefs'd in the Memorial above mention'd, and anfwer'd Mr. Harley to this effe Et "I do not put my felf upon the Foot

of one pretending immediately to the Throne of GREAT BRITAIN. The Queen is a young Woman, and, I hope, will live a great many Years: When "fhe dies, my Mother is before me. Whenever it pleases Gon to call me to that Station, I hope to act

as becomes me, for the Advantage of the People: "In the mean Time, fpeak to me, as to a German "Prince, and a Prince of the Empire: As fuch, I "must tell you, I cannot depart from what I take to "be the true Intereft of Europe, the Empire, and the "Dutch." The British Minifters finding by this Answer they could not engage the Elector in their pernicious Schemes, formed the Treafonable Defign of fetting afide the PROTESTANT SUCCESSION, which, one of them, not long after, almoft publickly avowed; But which was providentially defeated by the fudden Death of Queen ANNE, upon which the Elector of BRUNSWICK, by the Name of King GEORGE, quietly afcended the British Throne.

This ESSAY may, perhaps, be continued, and inferted in this Hiftorical Collection.

On the 7th of July arrived at Whitehall * the Right Hon. the Lord Vere Beauclair, or Behu Clerk, Commander of his Majefty's Ship the Lyme, difpatched the 18th of lift Month from Gibraltar by Sir Charles Wager, with an Account that he having received Advice from M. Vander

*News from Gibraltar, Sir Charles Wager, and Spain,