LETTER XXI. incorruptible integrity. Finding all his efforts in- THAT fome of the evils, foretold by the Scottish patriots at the Union, have fince overtaken their countrymen, cannot be denied; particularly the accumulation of taxes, in confequence of the growth of the English national debt, which then amounted only to about twenty millions, and the multiplication of the herd of infolent revenue officers. Yet have the Scots, from that æra, enjoyed more happiness, as a people, and rifen to more wealth and confequence, as individuals, than they could poffibly have attained in their difunited state. 68. This anecdote the Author had from the late Patrick, lord Elibank. VOL. IV. Bb NOR PART II. A. D. 1706. NOR has England reafon to complain of the Union. Inftead of turbulent neighbours, he has gained, by communicating her privileges to the Scots, hardy foldiers to fight her battles, and industrious workmen in every branch of manufacture. She has fecured for ever the undivided fovereignty of 'Great Britain, and the liberties of Englishmen, against the ufurpations of foreign or domeftic ambition, by making the confervation of that fovereignty, and thofe liberties, the common intereft of all the brave and free fubjects of the UNITED KINGDOM. LETTER A. D. 1706. The General View of EUROPE continued, from the Refufal of the Offers of Peace made by FRANCE, in 1706. to the Conferences held at GERTRUYDENBERG, in 1710. EWIS XIV. finding all his offers of peace rejected felf to brave, once more, that ftorm which he could not difpel. In order to fupply the want of money, he iffued bills upon the mint, to a very large amount, in imitation of the exchequer bills circulated by the English government; but, by refusing to take thofe bills in payment of the taxes, he threw them into fuch difcredit, that, after every expedient to raise their value had been tried, they remained at a difcount of more than fifty per cent. He was therefore obliged, on the failure of this defperate refource, which augmented the distress of his people at the fame time that it weakened their confidence in the crown, XXII. crown, to continue the practice of burthenfome loans, LETTER and to anticipate the royal revende '. BUT Lewis, notwithstanding these disadvantages, was enabled to make very confiderable preparations, for oppofing the efforts of his victorious enemies. He extended a line of militia along the coafts of the Channel, and the fhores of the Mediterranean he formed an army in Flanders, under the duke de Vendome; another was collected by marefchal Villars, in the neighbourhood of Strasburg; a body of men was ordered to affemble in Naverre, a fecond in Rouffillon; and large reinforcements were fent to the army of the duke of Berwick in Spain 2. These reinforcements were partly furnished in confequence of frefli, but not unexpected, difafters in Italy. The French troops, to the number of fifteen thoufand, being obliged to evacuate Lombardy, by a capitulation figned in the beginning of March, were dispatched to the affiftance of Philip V. Modena and Milan furrendered fucceffively to the allies: the whole kingdom of Naples was reduced; and the few places in the dominions of the duke of Savoy, that were ftill held by French or Spanish garrisons, fell one by one before the clofe of the campaign 3. THE fortune of the war was very different in Spain. There the allies, more through their own mifconduct than the ftrength of the enemy, received a dreadful overthrow. Charles III. pretending that Catalonia. was in danger, feparated himfelf, with a large detachment, from the principal army, commanded by the earl of Galway and the marquis de las Minas; who, 1. Voltaire, Siecle, chap. xxviii. Finances. par P. Daniel. Berwick's Mem. vol. i. Siecle, chap. xx. Bb 2 2. Contin. Hifl de France, 3. Id. ibid. Voltaire, having A. D. 1706. A. D. 1707. A. D. 1707. PART II. having exhausted all their provisions in Valencia, attempted to penetrate into New Caftile. With this view, they paffed the river Xucar, and marched toward Almanza. The duke of Berwick, who was juft arrived at that place, hefitated not a moment to give them battle. Ignorant of the fuccours he had received, the confederates eagerly advanced to the charge, flufhed with former victories, and animated with hopes of new fuccefs. The action foon became general, and the field was obftinately difputed. The English and Dutch infantry penetrated through the centre of the enemy, and proceeded as far as the walls of Almanza. Meantime the French and Spanish cavalry, on the right wing, twice broke the horse of the allies, and were as often repulfed by their foot, under colour of which the horse rallied. In order to overcome this difficulty, the duke of Berwick ordered a body of infantry to advance to the affiftance of his cavalry on the right. A vigorous charge was given, by both horfe and foot at the fame time. The left wing of the allies was totally routed: and their right, which had hitherto maintained its ground, being flanked by the right of the enemy, was broken and difperfed; while their gallant infantry in the centre, where they had carried every thing before them, in attempting to retreat, on feeing the defeat of their two wings, were furrounded by the enemy's cavalry, and almost all cut to pieces *. No victory was ever more complete than that gained by the duke of Berwick at Almanza. Five thoufand of the Confederates were flain, and near ten thoufand made prifoners. Among the latter were fix majorgenerals, as many brigadiers, twentyc, lonels, and a 4. Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol. i. Burnet book vii. proportional 373 XXII. A.D. 1707 poportional number of inferior officers, faid to amount LETTER to eight hundred. All the artillery of the vanquished, ~~ most of their baggage, with one hundred and twenty colours and standards, fell into the hands of the victors. Las Minas, who was run through the arm, and who had seen his mistress, fighting in the habit of an Amazon, killed by his fide, efcaped to Xativa; and the earl of Galway, who had received two cuts in the face, ftopt not his flight till he arrived at Tortofa, near the mouth of the Ebro ". THE duke of Orleans, who affumed the command of the French army the day after the battle of Almanza, did not neglect the opportunity which fortune and the abilities of the duke of Berwick had procured him, of retrieving the affairs of his family in Spain, He reduced the city, and recovered the whole kingdom of Valencia: he directed his march into Arragon, and reduced Saragoffa and Lerida under the dominion of Philip V. before the clofe of the campaign; while Charles III. either loitered in Catalonia, or made unimportant excurfions toward the frontiers of Rouillon 7. THE 5. Duke of Berwick's Mem. vol. i. 6. Hift. Gen. d'Espagne. Mod, Univ. Hift. vol vii. fol. edit. 7. Duke of Berwick, ubi fup. "I must not here omit," fays this intelligent observer of mankind, “ a fingular circumstance. The count de la Puebla, who com→ "manded in Saragoffa, made the inhabitants believe, that the reports "raised concerning a new army coming from Navarre were falfe, and even that the camp, which appeared, was nothing more than a phantom formed by magic art. In this perfuafion, the clergy "went in proceffion upon the ramparts; and from that eminent fituation, after a number of prayers, exorcifed the pretended spectres that "were in fight !-It is not a little surprising, adds he, "that the people could be fo credulous as to adopt fuch an idea. But they were soon undeceived by the huffars of the army of the duke of "Orleans i Bb 3 |