第69章 LETTER 8(11)

Those that had been opposed to them，in the last，were raw for the most part when it began，the British particularly：but they had been disciplined，if I may say so，by their defeats.They were grown to be veteran at the peace of Ryswic，and though many had been disbanded，yet they had been disbanded lately：so that even these were easily formed anew，and the spirit that had been raised continued in all.Supplies of men to recruit the armies were more abundant on the side of the confederacy，than on that of the two crowns：a necessary consequence of which it seemed to be，that those of the former would grow better，and those of the latter worse，in a long，extensive，and bloody war.I believe it proved so；and if my memory does not deceive me，the French were forced very early to send recruits to their armies，as they send slaves to their galleys.A comparison between those who were to direct the councils，and to conduct the armies on both sides，is a task it would become me little to undertake.The event showed，that if France had had her Condé，her Turenne，or her Luxemburg，to oppose to the confederates；the confederates might have opposed to her，with equal confidence，their Eugene of Savoy，their Marlborough，or their Starenberg.But there is one observation I cannot forbear to make.The alliances were concluded，the quotas were settled，and the season for taking the field approached，when king William died.The event could not fail to occasion some consternation on one side，and to give some hopes on the other；for，notwithstanding the ill success with which he made war generally，he was looked upon as the sole centre of union that could keep together the great confederacy then forming：and how much the French feared，from his life，had appeared a few years before，in the extravagant and indecent joy they expressed On a false report of his death.A short time showed how vain the fears of some，and the hopes of others were.By his death，the Duke of Marlborough was raised to the head of the army，and indeed of the confederacy：where he，a new，a private man，a subject，acquired by merit and by management a more deciding influence，than high birth，confirmed authority，and even the crown of Great Britain，had given to king William.Not only all the parts of that vast machine，the grand alliance，were kept more compact and entire；but a more rapid and vigorous motion was given to the whole：and，instead of languishing or disastrous campaigns，we saw every scene of the war full of action.All those wherein he appeared，and many of those wherein he was not then an actor，but abettor however of their action，were crowned with the most triumphant success.I take with pleasure this opportunity of doing justice to that great man，whose faults I knew，whose virtues I admired；and whose memory，as the greatest general and as the greatest minister that our country or perhaps any other has produced，I honor.But besides this，the observation I have made comes into my subject，since it serves to point out to your lordship the proof of what I said above，that France undertook too much，when she undertook to maintain the Spanish monarchy entire in the possession of Philip：and that we undertook no more than what was proportionable to our strength，when we undertook to weaken that monarchy by dismembering it，in the hands of a prince of the house of Bourbon，which we had been disabled by ill fortune and worse conduct to keep out of them.It may be said that the great success of the confederates against France proves that their generals were superior to hers，but not that their forces and their national strength were so；that with the same force with which she was beaten，she might have been victorious；that if she had been so，or if the success of the war had varied，or been less decisive against her in Germany，in the Low Countries，and in Italy，as it was in Spain，her strength would have appeared sufficient，and that of the confederacy insufficient.Many things may be urged to destroy this reasoning：I content myself with one.France could not long have made even the unsuccessful efforts she did make，if England and Holland had done what it is undeniable they had strength to do；if besides pillaging，I do not say conquering，the Spanish West Indies，they had hindered the French from going to the South Sea；as they did annually during the whole course of the war without the least molestation，and from whence they imported into France in that time as much silver and gold as the whole species of that kingdom amounted to.With this immense and constant supply of wealth France was reduced in effect to bankruptcy before the end of the war.How much sooner must she have been so，if this supply had been kept from her？The confession of France herself is on my side.She confessed her inability to support what she had undertaken，when she sued for peace as early as the year one thousand seven hundred and six.She made her utmost efforts to answer the expectation of the Spaniards，and to keep their monarchy entire.When experience had made it evident that this was beyond her power，she thought herself justified to the Spanish nation，in consenting to a partition，and was ready to conclude a peace with the allies on the principles of their grand alliance.But as France seemed to flatter herself，till experience made her desirous to abandon an enterprise that exceeded her strength；you will find，my lord，that her enemies began to flatter themselves in their turn，and to form designs and take engagements that exceeded theirs.Great Britain was drawn into these engagements little by little；for I do not remember any parliamentary declaration for continuing the war till Philip should be dethroned，before the year one thousand seven hundred and six：and then such a declaration was judged necessary to second the resolution of our ministers and our allies，in departing from the principle of the grand alliance，and in proposing not only the reduction of the French，but the conquest of the Spanish monarchy，as the objects of the war.This new plan had taken place，and we had begun to act upon it，two years before，when the treaty with Portugal was concluded，and the archduke Charles，now emperor，was sent into Portugal first，and into Catalonia afterwards，and was acknowledged and supported as king of Spain.