第85章 LETTER 8(27)

Your lordship will find in the course of your inquiries many particular instances of what is here pointed out in general.But I cannot help descending into some few of those that regard the emperor and the States General,who cried the loudest and with the most effect,though they had the least reason,on account of their own conduct,to complain of the queen's.With what face could the emperor,for instance,presume to complain of the orders sent to the Duke of Ormond?I say nothing of his deficiencies,which were so great,that he had at this very time little more than one regiment that could be said properly to act against France and Spain at his sole charge;as I affirmed to prince Eugene before the lords of the council,and demonstrated upon paper the next day.I say nothing of all that preceded the year one thousand seven hundred and seven,on which I should have much to say.But I desire your lordship only to consider,what you will find to have passed after the famous year one thousand seven hundred and six.Was it with the queen's approbation,or against her will,that the emperor made the treaty for the evacuation of Lombardy,and let out so great a number of French regiments time enough to recruit themselves at home,to march into Spain,and to destroy the British forces at Almanza?Was it with her approbation,or against her will,that,instead of employing all his forces and all his endeavors,to make the greatest design of the whole war,the enterprise on Toulon,succeed,he detached twelve thousand men to reduce the kingdom of Naples,that must have fallen of course?

And that an opportunity of ruining the whole maritime force of France,and of ruining or subduing her provinces on that side,was lost,merely by this unnecessary diversion,and by the conduct of prince Eugene,which left no room to doubt that he gave occasion to this fatal disappointment on purpose,and in concert with the court of Vienna?