A. C. Field-Deputies of the States, to their High Migh1706. tineffes on the fame Subject; which fheweth with what Prudence and Dexterity my Lord Duke of Marlborough, and their Excellencies, proceeded in an Affair of fo a nice Nature.. The States High and Mighty Lords, A Fter having given the neceffary Orders in Louvain to preferve the reft of the Magazines of Meal and Oats, and difcover the Provifions the French had put into feveral Monafteries, we march'd from that Camp (that is Bethlem) and being on our March my Lord Duke receiv'd a Letter from the Marquis de Deynfe, Governor of Bruffels, in the Name of the Deputies of the States of Brabant, and the Magiftrates of Bruffels, wherein they defired my my Lord Duke to appoint an Hour and Place to receive a Deputation of the faid States, who being now abandon'd by the French, were willing to 'fubmit to the Arms of England, and the States General. The fame Evening, about Six, my Lord Duke did us the Honour to come to our Quarters, and bring along with him the faid States of Brabant; but before we receiv'd them, we had a private Conference with my Lord Duke, who told us, That he found in them a favourable Difpofition, to caufe, upon the Demand of his Grace, and the Deputies of your High Might ineffes, the three States of Brabant to meet with all poffible Expedition, to proceed to the Recognition of King Charles 'the III, for their Lawful Sovereign, in a moft solemn manner; whereupon we thought it of the highest importance to the Common Caufe, in this juncture, to improve their favourable Difpofition, in hopes that the Example of Brabant, and the Capital City in particular, will be follow'd by the o'ther Provinces. This will give us likewife an opportunity to perfwade them to recal their Troops in the Service of France: And befides, we do not queftion but this will have another good Effect, viz. to encourage the Spaniards and Walloons, and 'even the Bavarians, to defert; the two former be'cause they may have the fame Employments under their Lawful Prince, and the latter, because they are exafperated against the French, whom they ⚫ charge charge to have not done their Duty in the late Bat- A. C. tle. The Elector himfelf has exprefs'd the fame 1706 thing, in very plain Terms. Thefe are the chief things that were agreed upon between my Lord Duke and us, which being fet down in writing, and communicated to the Deputies of the States of Brabant, &c. aforefaid, who approv'd the fame, C Letters were directed to the feveral Members thereof, to caufe their refpective Bodies to be affembled to morrow, or next day. We hope that your High Mightineffes will approve our Conduct in this Affair, which is fo nice in it felf, that it would not admit of any delay, and that you would fend us your further Orders and Inftructions with all poble speed. Having, in one of our former, reprefented the Neceflity to caufe the Artillery to be brought from Coblentz, we fhall add in this, That having conferr'd with my Lord Duke on that Subject, we have pitch'd upon Dart, as the moft convenient Place, where that Artillery is to be brought. Your High Mightineffes will give us leave to complain once more, that there is not here any one Prefident of the Council of War, nor Fifchal or Provoft, nor any Perfons belonging to the Hofpital, tho' the former are abfolutely neceffary for keeping the Troops under a good Difcipline, and the other for looking after the Wounded, and take Care of fo many gallant Men, who have fo bravely and fo joyfully expos'd their < Lives for the Service of the State. We cannot likewife forbear, on this Occafion, to defire your High Mightineffes to take into confideration, whether it will not be fitting to give fome Gratuity to your brave Soldiers, as it has been fometimes practifed on the like Occafion; for we dare fay, That their Bravery cannot be fufficiently prai6 fed, and our Enemies admire it, and commend it 'themselves. ८ . "The Enemy had all the Troops of the Houfhold, and the choiceft Regiments of all their other Forces, in that Place, and having befides the Advantage of the Ground, and 50 Pieces of Cannon in Front to cover them, they thought themfelves Invincible; but notwithstanding the fame, the Army of the two Powers, (England and Hollend) and in par A. C. 1706. particular the Troops of your High Mightineffes, which being posted on the Left, had the Right of the Enemy to engage, where the Troops of the Houfhold, with their Armours on, were, attacked them with fo much Vigour in Front and Flank, that they facilitated the Victory to our Right Wing; therefore we take the Liberty to recom'mend thefe brave Troops to your HighMightineffes, that they may be encouraged to behave themfelves in the like manner on the like Occafions, which may very well ftill happen this Campaign, which, in all probability, will decide the Fate of this War. We cannot, on the other hand, forbear to acquaint your High Mightineffes, that feveral Generals of the Cavalry of the left Wing, and even all the Brigadeers, except one, are abfent, as are alfo a great many Officers of leffer Rank, of whom we have order'd a Lift to be made. We have order'd fome Regiments out of the Frontier Places, which are now out of all danger by this Victory, to march, and we defire your High Mightineffes to give Orders to all the Troops in the Provinces, &c. to march, with all speed, that this unfpeakale Confternation of the Enemy, and the favourable Seafon may be rightly improve'd, to the beft Advantage. The Confufion the Enemy were in after the Battel, cannot be exprefs'd, as we are inform'd by the Sieur S'Gravenmoer, who was an Eye-Witnefs thereof, having been taken Prifoner when the Enemy broke through our first Line. He reports, That the Elector, notwithstanding his great Courage, and the Bravery he exprefs'd in the Battel, could not forbear to melt in Tears in his Prefence, as did alfo feveral other Generals. In fhort, the Victory is compleat, and the happy Confequences thereof begin to appear. We congratulate your High Mightineffes on that Account, and hope to have Matter enough to repeat the Compliment, the Conjuncture being very favourable, and the Duke applying himself to it with all poffible Zeal, We fhall on Sunday next return our folemn Thanks to God Almighty, to whom thefe great Succeffes are owing, and offer up our Prayers that he would be pleafed to continue to blefs the Arms of the Allies, and put a ftop, by means means of a Lasting and Honourable Peace, to the A. C. 'Effufion of Chriftian Blood. We remain, &c. Ferdinand Van Collen, F. A. Baron Van Rheede, P. S. The Towns of Malines and Alft have 'fubmitted themfelves. The City of Bruffels, and the Court of Juft.ce being affembled, while we were writing the Letter above, have declar'd themfelves for King Charles; but the other Three States cannot meet till within 8 Days. There is no 'doubt but they will fubmit likewife. There being a great number of Colours and Standards taken by your own Troops,we defire the Inftructions of your High Mightineffes about the difpofal 'thereof. We have order'd to take a Lift of the Names of fuch who have taken them, that they may receive the Reward promis'd for their Encouragement. The 26th the following Order was published in the Camp at Beaulieu. Ohn Duke and Earl of Marlborough, Prince of the holy Roman Empire, Marquis of Blanford, Baron Churchill of Aymouth, one of her Britannick Majefty's most honourable Privy Council, Knight of the moft noble Order of the Garter, Mafter-General of the Ordnance, Collonel of the first Regiment of Her Majefty's Guards, Captain-General ' of Her Land Forces, and Commander in Chief of 'the Army of the Allies. WHereas God has graciously blefs'd the Juft of 1706. line. Arms of the Allies with a Victory over the The Duke French Forces, and thereby brought us into the Marl Spanish Netherlands, which Provinces we acknow, borough's order for ledge to belong righfully to his Catholick Ma-trict Dif jefty King Charles III; we are refolved to protect thefe Provinces. and maintain all their Inhabitants in the quiet Poffeffion of their Eftatcs and Effects, as good Subjects of his faid Majefty. Wherefore by thefe Prefents we forbid all the Officers and "Soldiers of our Army, to do the leaft Hurt to the A. C. 1706, Malines Jubmits, May 22. N. S. General Bruffels. + May 27. ' 6 faid Inhabitants; but on the contrary, command them to give them all the Help and Allistance they fhall require. And declare, that if any Soldier fhall be taken plund'ring, or doing any other Damage to the faid Inhabitants, their Houfes, Cattle, Moveables, or other Goods, he fhall immediately be punished with Death. And the more effectually to retrain Maroders, and oblige the Officers to keep their Soldiers under strict Difcipline, We further declare, that the Regiments or Corps, to. which any Soldiers taken tranfgreffing this our Order belong, fhall be obliged to make good to the 'faid Inhabitants all the Lofs and Damage they may have fuftain'd, without any other Form of Proceís than the Apprehending of fuch Soldiers in the Fact, who, as is above faid) fhall fuffer Deathwithout Mercy. And that no Perfon may pretend Ignorance hereof, we command that thefe Prefents be forthwith read and publifh'd at the Head of each Squadron, and Battallion of our Army; and that a printed Copy be diftributed to each Company. Given in our Camp at Beaulicu, the 26th of May, 1706. Sign'd, The Prince and Duke of Marlborough. The fame day in the Evening the Magiftrates of Mechlen (or Malines) waited upon the Duke of Marlborough, and the Field-Deputies, and made their Submiffion: whereupon his Grace fent Colonel Durel Adjutant-General, with a Detachment of 200 Horfe, to take Poffeffion of that Town, whofe Governor furrendred himfelf Prifoner. The Duke of Marlborough having fent his Bro Churchill ther General Churchil with four Battalions of Foot, made Go- and two Squadrons of Horfe to command in Bruffels, verion of caufed the Army to pass the Canal of that City, and to encamp at Grimberg, where his Grace, and The Army the Field-Deputies, receiv'd the three Deputations, marches to and Letters before mentioned; and where it was Grimberg thought fit, after the great Fatigue the Troops had The Duke undergone, to give them two Days repofe. On of Marl- the 28th. of May, N. S. his Grace went to Bruffels, borough and was met at the Gate by the Magiftrates of that rocs to City, who prefented him with the Keys; which he Bruffels, return'd, with Affurances of Her Majefty of Great May 28. Britain's |