A Life of Marlborough
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THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Ex Libris ' I C. K. OGDEN A LIFE JOHN CHUECHILL, DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH. LONDON: OEO. ROUTLEDOE & CO FARftlNODOM 8THKET LIFE OF MARLBOROUGH. IN FOUR BOOKS. BY CHARLES MAC FARLANE, " AUTHOR OF A LIFE OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON,' "HISTORY OF INDIA," ETC. LONDON: G. ROUTLEDGE & CO., FARRINGDON STREET. 1852. London Printed by STKWAET and MURRAY, Old Bailey. PKEFACE. THE humble object proposed in this little volume (as in its predecessor) is to place in the hands of, or render accessible to, all classes of the community, a cheap and compendious account of the doings and sayings of one of the of warriors and statesmen to greatest English ; pre- sent a convenient manual or pocket-companion, in which no important fact should be omitted, and in which the dryness and frequent abruptness of mere abridgment should be avoided. The busy have not time (and in this over-worked gene- ration who is not busy ?) for the perusal of voluminous works on one subject, the young are deterred by the bulk, and the less opulent classes by the cost, of such books. Yet the great facts in the lives of men like Wellington and Marlborough ought to be familiar to every English- man. An earnest desire for peace does not always carry with it the attainment and security of that blessing. The continent of Europe is turned into a camp. The unsettled, critical times in which we live, seem to call for an ani- VI PREFACE. mated revival of the memory of our old military prowess, and of the science, skill, valour, and achievements of our forefathers, as well on the battle-field as on the ocean. I claim no new discovery or original research. The " staple materials exist in Archdeacon Coxe's Memoirs of Marlborough" (three vols. in quarto), and in the Duke's " Letters and Despatches," edited by the late General Sir George Murray (in five thick octavo volumes). But hav- ing twice gone over the subject of Marlborough's cam- paigns (the second time with some altered views, and a great increase of admiration), I have compared the various authorities quoted by Archdeacon Coxe, with his own valu- able text, and have consulted the manuscript journal of the duke's chaplain, Dr. Hare, the authenticity and im- portance of which will be seen in, this volume. C. M. F. London, March 10, 1852. CONTENTS. BOOK I. Birth Family Early Life Enters the Army Serves at Tan- gier Under Marshal Turenne in Flanders His Marriage Beautiful Wife Monmouth's Rebellion Revolution of 1688 Serves under William III. on the Continent In Ireland Court Quarrels Arrest and short Di-grace War of the Succession Diplomatic Employment Accession of Queen Anne Commander-in-Chief Page 1 BOOK II. Takes the Command on the Continent Campaign of 1702 Difficulties Successful Sieges Crosses the Waal Beautiful March Campaign of 1703 Factions at Home Campaign of 1704 March to the Danube Battle of Schellemberg Blenheim Honours and Rewards Page 21) Vlll CONTENTS. BOOK III. Campaign of 1705 Breaks the French Lines Brilliant Victory Dutch Field-Deputies and Waterloo Diplomacy The Duke at Vienna, Berlin, Hanover, and the Hague Fears entertained by the Dutch Campaign of 1706 Great Battle of Ramilies Conquest of Flanders More Honours Duke visits Charles XII. in Saxony Successful diplomacy Campaign of 1707 Disappointments Lord Peterborough Campaign of 1708 Prince Eugene Victory of Oudenarde Invasion of France Siege of Lille Victory gained at Wynendale Fall of Lille Capture of Ghent, &c. Page 105 BOOK IV. Campaigns of 1709-10 Dissensions in England Mrs. Masham Intrigues of Harley and St. John The Duchess of Marl- borough supplanted at Court Ministry overthrown Glo- rious Battle of Malplaquet Reduction of Mons Campaign of 1711 French Lines again forced The Duke betrayed Deprived of the Command and all his other employments Goes abroad as a private gentleman Peace of Utrecht Death of Queen Anne Proclamation of George I. The Duke returns to England Restored to his employments His last happy Years, Death, and Character . Page 231 A LIFE or JOHN CHURCHILL, DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH. BOOK I. ASHE, a small place in the beautiful county of Devon a county so productive of British worthies, and especially of heroes both military and naval was the birthplace of the illustrious subject of this volume. He was born on the 24th of June 1650, in the early part of the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. He was the second son of Winston Churchill by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Drake of Ashe. A recent writer states that Elizabeth Drake claimed a connection with the descendants of Sir Francis Drake, the great navigator and Elizabeth's is naval hero of Queen time ; but no authority given for the statement, and we have not been able to- find any ourselves. The name of Drake is very common in the county.* The genealogical table of the Churchills, exhi- bited a from the time of the descent Norman conquest ; but the family had fallen into comparative poverty and obscurity. * Had there been any such connection, it would scarcely have escaped the notice of the industrious Archdeacon Coie, a careful and good genealogist. 2 A LIFE OF JOHN CHURCHILL, [1660. During the contest between Charles I. and the Parliament, both the father and the grandfather of our hero had sided with the king, and on the fall of the monarchy had both been heavily fined. Winston, his father, had served in the himself in battles royal army, and had signalized and sieges ; but his highest military rank had been that of a captain of horse. The fine imposed upon Winston was enormous (for his means), his estate was sequestrated, and the parlia- mentary commissioners left him bare of everything. But during the troubles he had married the daughter of Sir John Drake, who was allied to the noble families of Villiers, Boteler, and Leigh, and before the execution of the king, a in the of his father-in-law and he sought refuge mansion ; it was under this roof at Ashe, that most of his children were born.* Our great soldier and statesman came into the world in circumstances of and but ten poverty family dependence ; years after his birth occurred the Restoration, and then Charles " II. rewarded the loyalty of Winston Churchill. He re- covered possession of his family estate at Mintern, and was gratified with the special grant of an augmentation to his arms, which conveys an honourable testimony to his loyalty and military services. In the first parliament of Charles II. he served for the borough of Weymouth. Soon afterwards he received the honour of knighthood, and was appointed a commissioner of claims in Ireland, for judging the qualifi- cations of those who had forfeited their estates. He is praised by the Irish historians for the share he took in tranquillizing that country, then in a state of commo- tion.* On his return from Ireland, Sir Winston was nominated one of the clerks-comptrollers of the Board of Green Cloth, an office which, with a brief interval of suspension caused by an outcry in the House of Commons, he retained till his death in March 1688. * Archdeacon Coxe's Memoirs of John, Duke of Marlborough, &c. 1672.] DDKE OF MABLBOROUGH. 3 The father of our great soldier had some pretensions to science and literature ; he was one of the first members of the Royal Society, and he published a political history of " England under the title of Divi Britannici." Such school education as his son John received and it was but little was given in St. Paul's school, London.* While yet a boy, he was appointed page of honour to the king's brother, the Duke of York, subsequently James II. The duke was very assiduous in reviewing and exercising his two regiments of foot-guards, and on these occasions young John Churchill was constantly in attendance. One day the duke asked him what he would like to be, and how he could provide for him. The page fell on his knee and " said, Give me a pair of colours in one of these fine regi- ments. I will be a soldier!" The colours were given, and he commenced his military career as an ensign in the foot- guards. Not long after this, we find John Churchill actively engaged at Tangier, which Charles II. had obtained from Portugal, as part of the dowry of his wife, Catherine of Braganza, and which was at this time besieged by the Moors. Here Churchill, who never owed much to reading or in-door study, must have learned something of the art and practice of war : he was engaged in frequent sorties and skirmishes, and gave proof of that coolness and intrepidity which afterwards contributed to raise him so high in the lists of fame. His stay in Africa was, however, short. In 1672, when England united with France against Holland, he accompanied the 6,000 British troops who were sent to the continent under the command of the Duke of Monmouth. The cause in which Charles II. had engaged himself was a bad one, and the motives which had impelled him were still worse ; but the service was well suited to instruct and Churchill and on this improve young Captain ; old battle- field of the Netherlands, and chiefly from French officers, * Appendix to the Life of Dr. Colct, Dean of St. Paul's. B 2 4 A LIFE OF JOHN CHURCHILL, [1674-7. he acquired much of the skill which enabled him at a later period to beat the French.