HAving given the Publick an Account of several of the former Campagnes , in which the Reader could find but little pleasure besides the satisfaction of knowing the Truth of several Matters of Fact in the Tragical Scenes of the most Tedious , Cruel and Destructive War that has been known for many Ages in Christendom , if we consider the Universalness of its Extent with the Duration of it ; and wherein his Thoughts could be entertain'd with nothing but Toilsom and Fatiguing Marches and Countermarches between Opposite Armies , some to Execute , others to Frustrate Designes , and others barely to subsist at the Cost and Charges of the Poor Husbandmen , and of a Miserable Countrey . ( For what else makes up the Subject of such Histories , can contain little besides the unwelcom account of the Effusion of but too much Christian Blood in Cruel Battles , Bloody Sieges , and Barbarous Bombarding , Burning and Destroying of Towns and Villages , some to satisfie and others to withstand the Ambition of Princes ) I have thought I could do no less than bring those Accounts to that happy Period we find in the present Blessings of a General Peace ; especially , when for this very reason the History of the last Campagne must yet be the most acceptable that has been given to the Publick concerning the late War .

I must Confess nevertheless that little can be said in this Relation to the Advantage of the Allies ; for the most that could have been expected during the last Campagne from them , considering how much they were over power'd of the French by the separate Peace of Savoy and Italy , had been to have stood effectually upon their Defence ; which I believe could yet have been done , if the Germans had taken the Field as early upon the Rhine as we did in Flanders , or that the Spanish Government were capable of any manner of Vigour to have provided by times for the Defence of Barcelona ( the only place they had to look after in Catalonia ) by which they could have baulk'd at once the whole designes of the French for the Campagne on that side : However , this very thing includes more Real Glory than all the Triumphs and Victories our Great Monarch could have reap'd in the Bloody Fields of War ; ( besides the great Happiness it is attended with for all his People ) that at the End of it we can see the most Formidable Power of Christendom , a Power , that for many years had resisted the Confederate Attempts of most of the Princes and States of Europe , a Power , that seem'd to have tir'd the Allies more than it self by a long and expensive War ; a Power , that with all these Advantages , design'd no less than our Kings Ruin , with that of our Religion , Lawes and Liberties , oblig'd to seek Peace with us , and yield to his Majesty the just and quiet possession of the Crown 's he wears , to the great Comfort and Happiness of His People under his Easie and Auspicious Government , which , with the security of all that can be dear to a Nation , must promise us all the Blessings , that can be expected from Peace abroad , and a great and flourishing Trade at home : And that even all the advantages which this great and formidable power has had over the Allies in the Course of the last Campagne have only serv'd as a means to procure it a quicker and more speedy accommodation with them , instead of prolonging a then unsuccessful War on their side . This is what I am now to Relate , and which must give much more Satisfaction to the Honest Reader , than if I were to speak of Battles won and other Warlike Triumph's and Victory 's ; and therefore a Subject which , without any farther preface , I shall enter immediately upon .

The Campagne of 1696. had produc'd nothing extraordinary , besides the extraordinary , though not new , proceedings of the Court of Savoy in making an underhand Treaty with France separate from the Allies , expresly contrary to the Tenour of the Offensive and Defensive Alliance the Duke had enter'd in with them , besides other Obligations he had to them . And though the Conditions offer'd him by the French were very Advantagious , yet it has so evidently appear'd since , in the whole Course of Affairs , that France wanted Peace , ( all its Successes during the last Campagne having been made use of to no other purpose than to oblige the Allies to this very thing ) that we need not doubt but the Duke of Savoy would at least have had as good Terms in a general Treaty , and the Allies certainly much better , when France , by the diversion of the War of Italy , would have been frustrated of those Successes it has had in Catalonia and Flanders , which have inabled it in a manner to give the Law in the General Treaty of Ryswick . But 't is not the first time the Court of Savoy has made use of such Politicks ; we shall find the same Management in the War about the Succession of Mantua , and the putting of Pignerol in the hands of the French , contrary to the Treaty of Quierasque , which place has now been rescued out of their hands by the very same Methods ; when ( as the event has shew'd it ) 't is plain enough he could have had the same Condition by sticking to the Obligations of the Offensive and Defensive Alliance and leaving things to the fair and just Issue of a General Treaty : And yet notwithstanding this separate Treaty , 't is the Opinion of several people , that France would not have been much the better for it , but certainly Savoy much the worse , if the Emperour and King of Spain had continued the War in Italy , as it seems to have been their Interest , especially at a time when there were Overtures of a General Peace : The most that France could have done in such a Case would have been the taking of Valence ; whereas the Spaniards would have had the whole Winter before them in putting the Milane's in a posture of Defence , in getting Forces from the Empire , and increasing their own Troops by the help of England and Holland , who , t is to be presum'd , would have given the same assistance , upon the account of Milan as they had done before to the Duke of Savoy : By this means Italy would have had a greater share in the Burden of the War , and whatever Success the French could have propos'd to themselves the Campagne following on this side , yet 't is evident that Spain would have had this advantage by it , that it would have sav'd Barcelona , and warded that great blow it has receiv'd at home ; and the Allies would have been able by the diversion of Italy to have acted offensively both upon the Rbine and Flanders . These were the visible Consequences of a War in Italy ; and therefore because the Emperor and King of Spain agreed to the Peace on that side contrary to their Interest and that of the Allyes in General , several persons begun to suspect the Popish Princes as if they had a design to leave the Protestants in the Lurch , and the Bigots of the Church of Rome fed themselves with hopes of a Religious War in which they thought of nothing less than the Extirpation of what they are pleas'd to call Heresie . But the Emperour and King of Spain could not be impos'd upon by this pretext of Religion , they knew very well , that if England and Holland had been left ingag'd in a War with the French King , all the advantages he would have had by it would onely have made more firm and lasting Fetters for themselves ; and 't is therefore probable that the Emperour and King of Spain joyn'd in this Peace of Italy at the Popes most earnest Sollicitations , who though his Mediation signified little on the other side of the Alpes , yet was very desirous of seeing Peace at his own doors , and us'd consequently all his Industry and Interest to bring it about . And if such were the vain and groundless hopes of the Popish Bigots abroad , our Jacobites were no less elevated at home upon this separate Treaty of Savoy and the consequent Treaty for the Peace of Italy ; they could imagine no less than that the French King would force every one of the Allies in the Continent of Europe one after another to make up an accommodation , and thus , that nothing would remain for him but to deal with England , and bend all his Forces upon it for the reestablishment of the late King ; But they both have been very much deceiv'd in the event , which does now convince the World , that the French King aim'd particularly at coming by this means the sooner to a General Peace with all the Allyes , and to have so much the better Terms for himself .

And indeed , at that very time that these things were Transacting in Italy so much to the prejudice of the General Interest of the Allyes , the French King had an Agent in Holland to make overtures of a General Peace ; and the Duke of Savoy made use of this very pretext to excuse the Treaty he had made apart with France , in his Letter to the Elector of Brandenbourgh ; he was jealous , or rather pretended to be so , of the States having receiv'd an Agent from France to treat with them , and therefore he thought that he might very well treat for himself .

Monsieur de Callieres ( as we have said it in our precedent History ) had come to Holland with a passe from the States at the very opening of the Campagne , and resided privately at Delft the whole Summer to negotiate Affairs with some of the States Ministers in order to come to a General Treaty ; this occasion'd so many Journeys which Monsieur Dyckvelt made between Holland and the Camp in Brabant to give an account to the King and receive His Majesty's instructions ; But whether the uncertain state of the King of Spain's Health , who had a most dangerous fit of sickness the latter end of the Summer , made the French delay and spin away time in their Offers , or that the Imperialists and Spaniards were unwilling to hear of reducing things no farther than the Treaty of Nimeguen , the King of Swedens Mediation was not accepted in due Form by the French King and the Congress of the Allies at the Hague , till the Campagne was over , or rather till the beginning of the Winter ; upon which the Baron de Lillienroot the Swedish Minister at the Hague receiv'd full powers from Stockholme to manage the Mediatour's part in the Congress that should be held for the concluding of a General Peace between France and the Allies . Things being brought thus far towards a Treaty , the several Princes concern'd begun to appoint Ambassadors and Plenipotentiaries for it , of which I shall onely mention the Principal : On the Emperours side were nam'd the Count de Caunitz his Ambassadour and Plenipotentiary at the Congress of the Allies at the Hague , Count Straatman , and the Baron de Zeilern : On his Majesty of Great Britains , the Earl of Pembrook , my Lord Viscount Villiers ( now E. of Jersey ) His Majesty's Ambassador to the States and Plenipotentiary at the Congress of the Allies at the Hague , and Sir Jos. Williamson , to whom was joyn'd afterwards in Commission , as third Plenipotentiary Ambassador my L. Lexinton His Majesties Ambassador at Vienna , as 't were provisionally ; for during the whole Congress he did not leave the Imperial Court. On the French Kings behalf were nam'd M. de Harlay Boneuil , Monsieur de Courtin , who not being able to attend upon this great imployment by reason of his great age and a blindness that seiz'd him immediately after his Nomination , Count de Crecy Verjus was appointed in his stead as second , and the third Monsieur de Calliere before hand in Holland as his Most Christian Majesty's Agent to make the Overtures of a Treaty . On the behalf of Spain were nam'd Don Barnardo de Quiros , the King of Spain's Ambassadour to the States General and Plenipotentiary at the Congress of the Allies at the Hague , and the Count de Tirimont , to whom the Elector of Bavaria joyn'd the Baron de Preylmeyer to take care of his own particular Interest . For the States General were nam'd Messieurs Boreel , Dyckvelt , and Van Haren ; all these had the Character of Ambassadours Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaries , as well as the Mediatour . The rest I shall leave to those who write particularly the Account of the Negotiations of this Peace to account for .

After the accepting the Mediation of Sweden , and the naming of Plenipotentiary Ambassadours by the Chief Powers concern'd , Monsieur de Callieres who hitherto had kept up very privately in Holland and mostly at Delft , took upon him the publick Character of the French Kings Minister , and had very frequent Conferences with the Ministers of the States in the presence of the Mediatour , or particularly among themselves to settle the Preliminaries , in order to come to a place of Treaty . Monsieur d'Avaux the French Ambassadour at Stockholm had made several offers to the Court of Sweden in order to open the way to a General Treaty by the Mediation of that Crown , not onely during the Campagne of 1696. but also , in the Winter 1694. which the Allies pretended to have been more advantagious , than those given by Monsieur de Callieres at the Hague ; This created some contest about settling the Preliminaries , and therefore retarded that Business for some time ; however the French Court having insisted upon Monsieur de Callieres offers as the onely authentick ones , the Preliminaries were at last agreed upon and sign'd by the Mediatour in presence of Monsieur de Callieres and Messieurs Boreel and Dyckvelt , the 31th . of January old Style , of which this was the Substance .

Monsieur de Callieres , having communicated his full power from the French King for this purpose to the Mediatour , did declare in the French King his Masters Name , that in order to a General Treaty of Peace , his Most Christian Majesty Consented and Agreed ,

Monsieur de Callieres having made the said declaration to the Mediatour in the presence of Monsieur Dyckvelt , they went afterwards to the Sieur Boreels House , who , because of his indisposition could not come to the Mediatours as it had been agreed , and the Mediatour having follow'd them thither , Messieurs Dyckvelt and Boreel did : signifie to him in Monsieur de Callieres presence that they had agreed , that upon the Conclusion and Signing of the Peace , the Most Christian King should Recognize the Prince of Orange for King of Great Britain without any Difficulty , Restriction , Condition or Reserve ; which Monsieur de Callieres confirm'd to the Mediatour in the name of his Most Christian Majesty , all which was accordingly Enter'd and Sign'd by the Mediatour in his * * A Signing Book kept by the Mediatour . Protocol the 31th . January . 10th . February , 1697.

Most people , especially those who are Well-wishers to the Kings Person and Government , expected that His Majesty should have been acknowledg'd by the French for King of Great Britain in the Preliminaries , as a necessary step without which no General Treaty could be thought of , wherein His Majesties Ambassadours should not be receiv'd by the French as Ambassadours from the King of Great Britain ; but the French Court would not yield to this Point , because if the Treaty should break off , yet the King would gain thereby the onely difficulty that was to be regulated between England and France ; the other difficulties being but inconsiderable and easily accommodated , and therefore offer'd that it was sufficient ( seeing the case was so ) that His Majesty should be acknowledgd for King of Great Britain at the Conclusion and Signing of the Treaty . His Majesty preferring the Peace and Quiet of Europe to what at the bottom was but a meer Formality , Consented that the Negotiations should be manag'd this way , being satisfied with the Guaranty of Sweden upon this point in the Preliminaries : And notwithstanding that the French King did not acknowledge His Majesty till the Signing of the Peace , yet the whole Treaty was so manag'd at Ryswick that our Ambassadours and Plenipotentiaries met with nothing that might derogate in the least from the Honour due to Ministers of that Character from the Crown of England : However his Majesties Domestick Enemies had some hopes upon this account , and they thought themselves in no ill Condition by it . As for the Imperial Minister , the Count de Caunitz , he was not present at the Signing of the Preliminaries , because the French allow'd no other Conditions in them for the Duke of Lorrain but those of Nimeguen , which had been protested against in due Form by the last Duke of Lorrain , and which neither the Emperour nor the present Duke could ever accept of .

Affairs being brought thus far towards a General Treaty as to have the Preliminaries Sign'd by the Mediatour , no other difficulty remain'd to hinder the opening of the Congress but the agreeing upon the Place of Treaty . Breda , Maestricht or Nimeguen were sometimes propos'd by the French , other people talk'd of Vtrecht , the Imperialists were for having the Congress in Germany either at Cologne or Aix la Chappelle , but the Emperour was very backward in explaining himself upon this Article ; his Minister still insisted at the Hague to have the Business of Lorrain put in a way of accommodation before the Place of Treaty was nam'd ; for , though the French made no other overture in the Preliminaries for the Dutchy of Lorrain but the Treaty of Nimeguen , yet France gave hopes of better Conditions for that Duke when-once it should come to a Treaty ; the Imperial Court would have had these Conditions explain'd in the Preliminaries , but France would not consent to it : These Contestations took up a great deal of time , and prov'd a great obstacle to the agreeing upon a Place to Treat in ; In the mean while the French and the Dutch pitch'd upon a place of Treaty , which I dare say is the most convenient that can be met with in Christendom for such a Business , and that was His Majesties Royal Palace at Ryswick , so situated that it has the advantage of two large and populous Towns just by it , being not above an English Mile from the Hague , and two from Delft ; where consequently the Ambassadors on both sides could Lodge themselves conveniently without being press'd for Scarcity of Lodging , or impos'd upon in the Excessive Rates of Houses , both which inconveniencies must have been the Consequence of having the Treaty in any one Town of Holland besides , or Germany , and were sufficiently felt in the Congress of Nimeguen : Besides , the French were to come from Delft to Ryswick one way , and the Allies from the Hague another directly opposite , so that no unlucky meeting of Coaches , and wrangling for precedency could ever happen to interrupt the Negotiations .

This Palace is call'd the House of Newbourgh , built aside of the Village of Ryswick , about two Bowes shot to the West , by Frederick Henry Prince of Orange His Majesties Grandfather , and is a Fabrick of Modern Architecture , onely a little too low , consisting of three Pavillons or Piles of Buildings upon a Line , joyn'd together by two Galleries , all of Free Stone and of an equal Height ; the Front of the House looks to the Hague Northwards , and the back with the Gardens towards Delft Southwards , and therefore it afforded all the Accommodations that could possibly be desir'd for a Congress to Negotiate a Peace ; an Apartment in the Center for the Mediator , and one upon the Right and another upon the Left for the two different Parties , whereby no manner of Dispute could happen about the going out or coming in , and such other accidents which it has been very difficult to Regulate in other Places . Most of the Allies agreed immediately that a Palace so conveniently situated , and having such Accommodations to prevent any differences about the Ceremonial , should be the Place of Treaty , and accordingly His Majesty order'd it forthwith to be Repaired , and the States had it handsomly Furnish'd for such an occasion ; and certainly it could signifie no less than a good Omen to his Majesties Affairs , that after so long and cruel a War , wherein the French had done whatever lay in their power to dispute his possession of the British Throne , yet at last they very willingly came to Treat of Peace in his own House .

Whilst these advances were making towards a General Treaty , there were no less preparations in the Frontiers between France and the Allies than if it had been the very middle of the War ; and indeed 't is very necessary to be more cautious than usual in such a Conjuncture , because the Successes of War have then a very great influence upon the Negotiations of Peace and must give him that is Master of the Field considerable Advantages in it , to which he could not pretend before ; and therefore 't is a certain Maxim , that all Governments concern'd , must during such Treaties , rather increase than slacken their Warlike preparations , and that the onely way to make an Honourable Peace is with the Sword in one's hand and not in the Scabbard . The French according to this Principle were resolv'd to make the best use they could against the Allies of the advantage they had over them by the separate Peace of Italy , and the Allies on their side were providing for a vigorous defence , especially in Flanders and upon the Rhine , in order to frustrate the designs of the French King , who endeavour'd to bring down all his Forces that way ; and for that reason many Intreagues and secret Negotiations were carried on at Rome , and between Turin and Milan to compass a Neutrality in Catalonia , which France was very desirous of , and therefore offer'd upon such a Consideration to restore to the King of Spain all the Towns and Places which had been taken on that side since the Peace of Nimeguen ; but it was at last refus'd by the King of Spain and his Council , as a thing which might endanger the whole Loss of Flanders , besides other more fatal Consequences to the House of Austria and to the Liberties of Europe in General : But when all is done , I do not know what harm could have happen'd to the Allies by this Neutrality , if Spain could have been inabled thereby to have kept as good an Army for the defence of Flanders as it had in Catalonia ; I am sure the Allies would not have been the weaker for it this way , and the Frontiers they had to defend would then have been brought within a mutual Defence and Communication , the want of which has been the reason that the French have still acted as they pleas'd both in Piedmont and Catalonia , especially in the Campagne of 1696 , notwithstanding that in the whole they were not stronger than the Allies . But so much Vigour was not to be expected from Spain , or else France would not have propos'd it , and therefore the Allies had all the reason in the World to oppose that Neutrality ; on the contrary the Troops it had to spare in Italy , since the Peace on that side , were altogether sunk to the Allies , and serv'd onely to make the Ballance fall with so much the more weight for the French , as the Scale on our side was so much the lighter without them . But whatever reason there may be to complain of the Weakness of the Spanish proceedings during the whole War , yet their Fidelity to the Allies in refusing this Neutrality offer'd by the French in so necessary a conjuncture for them , deserves a Commendation ; and if their Efforts had but in the least answer'd their Honesty in continuing the War on that side , it may be presum'd that the French would not have taken Barcelona .

This obstinacy of Spain in rejecting the Neutrality offer'd for Catalonia quite alter'd the Measures of the French for the operations of the following Campagne , and whereas they design'd to bend all their Forces upon the Rhine and in Flanders , and to bring for that end all the Troops that had serv'd under Catinat in Piedmont , upon their Frontier this way , they were now oblig'd to send a great Detachment of them to Quarter in Languedoc and Provence for the making up of their Army in Catalonia the following Campagne ; however they brought as many as possibly they could of the Troops of Italy towards Germany and Flanders , and Quarter'd most of them between the Moselle and the Meuse , and the rest in their Frontier towards Brabant . The Allies withdrew at the same time their Forces out of Italy , and having pass'd some through the Countrey of the Grisons and others through the County of Tirol , came into Germany and were all Quarter'd in the Circles of Suabia and Franconia , except the Imperial Cavalry which March'd into Bohemia in order to serve in Hungary . But this could in no wise answer the Number which the French brought by this Peace to act against the Allies in Flanders and Germany , all the Duke of Savoy's and the King of Spain's Troops in Italy were wholly lost to us by it , which amounted to no less than 31 Squadrons and 16 Battallions which the Spaniards had there in the Field in the year 1696 , and 17 Squadrons of Savoy , and 13 Battallions : All the Reinforcement therefore which the Allies got upon the Rhine consisted of no more than five or six Battalions of the Emperours , six of His Majesty of Great Britains being Refugies , four of Brandenbourg , and two of Bavaria being in all about 20 Battallions , or ten thousand Men : The Circles of Suabia and Franconia took our Six Battallions of Refugies into their Service for the Campagne following , besides several new Levy's they made for the defence of those Circles , having resolv'd together in an Assembly of their Deputies to have 60000 Men for their defence ; because the French threaten'd Germany with a powerful Invasion in the Summer , and to enter it with two Armies to be Commanded by the Mareschals of Choiseul and Catinat , and these Circles , if they did not provide for their safety , must have been the greatest Sufferers by it . Thus the Allies became near 20000 Men the weaker by the Peace of Italy , and consequently the French so much the stronger , and this chiefly is due to Spain in not bringing over their Troops which they had in Italy , for the defence of Catalonia , where a Re-inforcement of six or seven Regiments onely could have put it in a posture to have baffled the French Designes ; and notwithstanding that the Winter was the most proper Season for such a Transportation , when the French Gallies could not keep the Sea , and that they could then have slipt them over one after another , yet onely one or two Regiments got this way into Catalonia , and when the Summer came it was too late .

But if Spain was so backward in providing for the defence of Catalonia , the rest of the Allies were more active elsewhere and especially in Flanders , where all possible care was taken to oppose the designes of the French ; and because their Garrisons were now crowded upon their Frontiers this way , and consequently that they might have been stirring in the Winter if they could have surpriz'd us any where , so all our Troops Quarter'd in Flanders , as Ghendt , Bruges , Ostend and Newport , and those Quarter'd behind the Canals upon the Countrey had orders to be still in a readiness to March upon the first Signal ; which was so contriv'd , that in an Flours time the Allarm could be given in all the Quarters between Ghendt and Newport , by means of several Beacons , or Fire-pots which they had ready at every Guard upon the Canals of Bruges , Ostend and Newport to be hoisted up to the Top of a high pole , which Signal was to be taken upon the right and left from post to post , Cannon being to be fir'd at the same time where they had it , or a Volley of small shot from the Guard , and the Towns of Ghendt , Bruges and Newport were to take or give the Allarm by having such Lights upon their highest Steeples or Towers , where there is always a Watch Night and Day , and Firing of so many Guns . This was the Contrivance of Monsieur Ivoy Quarter-Master General of the Dutch Army in Flanders , and the Experiment of it being made one Night , it was found that the Allarm was given from Newport to Ghendt , which is fourteen Leagues by the Canals , in less than an Hours time . The same Method was taken between Ghendt , Dendermond and Willebrook by Lights and Firing of Cannon , from whence it was to be carried by the Guards upon the Canal to Brussels , all which could be done in Two Hours time being the distance of 24 Leagues . This was sufficient to cover all the Countrey behind the Canals and the Scheldt during the Winter , and to hinder our being surpriz'd in any of those Quarters ; but the great difficulty was about Namur , for the Winter was very hard , and the Meuse shut up very early with a Violent Frost , insomuch that there was no getting of Convoys into the place from Maestricht and Liege by Water ; and the Frosty Weather continuing very obstinate till the Moneth of March , all the Waggons between Liege , Maestricht and St. Tron were summon'd to carry a great quantity of Provisions and Ammunition into this place , which was happily executed accordingly before the breaking of the Frost under a strong Escorte compos'd of Detachments from all the Garrisons thereabouts without any Opposition from the French ; but then as soon as the Rivers were open , ( and 't is observable that this great and long Frost went away without a drop of Rain ) another great Convoy of all manner of Stores and Provisions was sent thither by Water from Maestricht , of which Count de Guiscard Governour of Dinant having Notice he drew out several Detachments of the Garrisons of the Meuse to indeavour to intercept it , with which he came into the Condros , but our Generals upon the Meuse were so watchful that Count de Guiscard miss'd his design , and Namur was sufficiently provided with all manner of Stores for the whole Summer .

This is an Abstract of the most material Transactions of the Winter , and Spring being now coming on , we were resolv'd if possibly , to be before hand with the French in the Field , as the onely means to hinder them from making any considerable progress in Flanders with the great and Numerous Armies they were now like to have against the Allies : His Majesty being desirous to have his own Forces to act under him in Brabant with Prince Vaudemont , and that the Elector with the Prince of Nassau Sarbruck should Command in Flanders with the Spanish and Bavarian Troops and those of the States ; whereupon Orders were sent to have the Quarters chang'd according to this disposition . The Duke of Wirtemberg had then been visiting the Winter-quarters , when being return'd to his Head-quarter at Ghendt the last day of February , he met with an Order from the Prince to meet him at Antwerp the next day , where a great Council of War was held , the Prince of Vaudemont , the Duke of Wirtemberg , the Prince of Commercy ( who had come from Vienna to Brussels this Winter to Visit the Prince and Princess ) the Marquess de Bedmar and Mr. Hill being present , and the King's pleasure was signified by the Prince about the disposition of the two Armies we were to have in the Field the following Campagne , the Exchanging of Quarters accordingly and the providing of things necessary for the English in Brabant , and the same for the Dutch in Flanders ; After this Conference , the Prince , and the Prince of Commercy with the Marquess de Bedmar went back to Brussels , and the Duke of Wirtemberg to Ghendt , where he was no sooner come but he met with another Order to go to Brussels ; being arriv'd the Second of March in this Town , a great Council of War was held in the Electors Presence , and the Routes and Quarters were settled for the exchanging of the Troops between Brabant and Flanders , and Patents dispatch'd accordingly , and Monsieur Ivoy , who acted as Quarter-master General for the Army of Flanders , was sent immediately that very night after the Resolutions taken in the Council of War , to the Magistrates of Ghendt and Bruges to provide Bilanders , Waggons and other things necessary for the March of the Troops . In the mean while the two French Plenipotentiaries , Monsieur de Harlay and the Count de Crecy , being come from Paris by the way of Lisle and Courtray , arrived at Ghendt the 3d. in order to prosecute their Voyage for Holland ; Our Guard at Bruges Porte took no notice of March . them , because they had not yet acknowledg'd His Majesty for King of England , but oblig'd them to produce their Pass at the Gate before they came into the Town , the Magistrates receiv'd them on their side with all the Joy and Civility possible , and seeing that our Forces Quarter'd there could not give them the Compliment of a Guard upon their quarter , a Detachment of Spaniards was sent out of the Citadel with Colours , Commanded by a Captain for this purpose . The next day they went to the Sas of Ghendt , where they went on Board of the States Yachts sent thither to carry them by Water to Delft , where their third Colleague Monsieur de Callieres expected them .

Every thing being ready for the March of the Troops according to the above mention'd Resolutions , the English Foot began to move towards Brabant on the 6th . of March . The Regiments of Churchill , Seymour , Webb and Frederick Hamilton March'd from Ghendt to Louvain under the Command of Major General Churchill . The two Battalions of the Royal Regiment , and the Regiments of Fairfax and Ingoldesby March'd from Bruges to Brussels , being Commanded by Brigadier Fairfax , and those of Saunderson , Tiffin and Ferguson from Ostend to Malines , under the Command of Brigadier Tiffin , and were exchang'd by the Regiments of Weed , Dohna , Sparre and Groningue Guards from Brussels to Ghendt ; Fagel , Carles , la Mothe and Schack ( being the Regiment of the late Major General Holle ) from Louvain to Bruges ; and from Malines to Ostend came the Hanover Guards , the Hanover Regiment of Cinqvilles , and that of Willekens . All the English Regiments , the Guards excepted , were to leave two Companies per Battallion in the Quarters from whence they remov'd in Flanders , and all the Dutch one in their Quarters in Brabant or Frontier of Holland , to have by this means the Garrisons kept during the Summer by detach'd Companies , and consequently more Battallions in the Field though the less strong , but reduc'd by this Method as near as could be to the Strength and Complement of those of the French ; this likewise made the Dutch Regiments equal with the English , which Consisted most of Twelve Companies , but the English leaving two Companies in Garrison and the Dutch one , they all equally consisted of Eleven Companies each Battallion , except the Swissers , whose Companies consist of 200 each , and four in a Battallion . The 13th . the English Guards being two Battallions , the Fusiliers and the Regiments of Collingwood and Nassau from Ghendt , and the Scots Guards , Howe , Sir David Collier , and Sir Matthew Bridges's Regiments from Bruges , Maitland from the Pays de Nort and Rowe , ( being the Regiment which was lately Colonel Robert Mackays ) from the Camerling , march'd towards the Canal of Brussels , the first Five being Commanded by Count Nassau Lieutenant General to Cantoon just by Brussels between the Canal and the way to Halle in the Villages of Berckem , Jette , Ganshoren , Dylbeck , Stroombeck and Beveren , Count Nassau took his Quarter at the Chasteau de Riviere , within half a League of Brussels ; the last Six by Major General Ramsay and Cantoon'd at Grimberg , Mais , Londerseel , Wolverthem , Capelle and Ramsdonck . The Regiments of Denhoff ( being that of Brandenbourg in His Majesties Service ) from the Camerling , Fuhnen from the Pays de Nort and Prince Frederick from the Canal of Bruges being joyn'd the 17th . by Colonel Stanley's Regiment , the Danish Guards , and the Regiment of Juitland at Ghendt , March'd the same way under the Command of the Marquess de Mirmont Major General to Cantoon at Asche , Maselle , Bardeghem , Mellem , Bollenbeeck , Steinhuffel and Merchtem ; Major General Ramsay took his Quarter at Grimberg , and Mirmont at Asche . These Quarters were enlarg'd in other Villages on both sides the Canal , and the Battallions of the Fusiliers , Collingwood , Bridges , Nassan and Denhoff , Cantoon'd between Brussels , Vilvorde and Malines .