Leí. 8.

and State of Eukope.

283

if they had disturbed the allies of the dead princesthat repose at Saint Denis, every good man wouldhâve felt the horror, that such cruelttes inspire:no man could hâve said that the retaliation wasunjuíl. But in one thousand seven huudred andtwelve, it was too late, in every respect, to me-ditate such projects. If the trench had been un-prepared to defend their fronder, either for wantof means, or in a vain confidence that the peacewould be made, as our king Charles the secondwas unprepared to defend his coast at the latterend of his tìrst war with Holland , the allies mighthâve played a sure game in satisfying their venge-ance on the French , as the Dutch did on us inone thousand six hundred and sixty-seven; andimposing h arder ternis on them, than those theyofïered, or would hâve accepted. But this wasnot the case. The French army was, I believe,more marnerons than the army of the allies, evenbefore séparation, and certainly in a rnuch bettercondition than tvvo or three years before, whena deluge.of blood was fpilt to diflodge them, forwe did no more, at Malplaquet. Would theGermans and the Dutch hâve found it more eafyto force them at this time, than it was at that?Would not the French hâve fought with as muchobítinacy to save Paris , as they did to save Mons ?and, with ail the regard due to the duke of Or-mond and to prince Eugene, was the absence ofthe duke of Marlborough of no conséquence?Turn this afiair every way in your thoughts, mylord, and you will fìnd that the Germans and the