yers in which her stricken heart had
found consolation. Might she sleep in peace--might she sleep in peace; and
we, too, when our struggles and pains are over! But the earth is the
Lord's as the heaven is; we are alike His creatures here and yonder. I
took a little flower off the hillock, and kissed it, and went my way, like
the bird that had just lighted on the cross by me, back into the world
again. Silent receptacle of death! tranquil depth of calm, out of reach of
tempest and trouble! I felt as one who had been walking below the sea, and
treading amidst the bones of shipwrecks.

Chapter XIV. The Campaign Of 1707, 1708

During the whole of the year which succeeded that in which the glorious
battle of Ramillies had been fought, our army made no movement of
importance, much to the disgust of very many of our officers remaining
inactive in Flanders, who said that his grace the captain-general had had
fighting enough, and was all for money now, and the enjoyment of his five
thousand a year and his splendid palace at Woodstock, which was now being
built. And his grace had sufficient occupation fighting his enemies at
home this year, where it begun to be whispered that his favour was
decreasing, and his duchess losing her hold on the queen, who was
transferring her royal affections to the famous Mrs. Masham, and Mrs.
Masham's humble servant, Mr. Harley. Against their intrigues, our duke
passed a great part of his time intriguing. Mr. Harley was got out of
office, and his grace, in so far, had a victory. But her Majesty,
convinced against her will, was of that opinion still, of which the poet
says people are when so convinced, and Mr. Harley before long had his
revenge.

Meanwhile the business of fighting did not go on any way to the
satisfaction of Marlborough's gallant lieutenants. During all 1707, with
the French before us, we had never so much as a battle; our army in Spain
was utterly routed at Almanza by the gallant Duke of Berwick; and we of
Webb's, which regiment the young duke had commanded before his father's
abdication, were a little proud to think that it was our colonel who had
achieved this victory. "I think if I had had Galway's place, and my
Fusiliers," says our general, "we would not have laid down our arms, even
to our old colonel, as Galway did; and Webb's officers swore if we had had
Webb, at least we would not have been taken prisoners." Our dear old
general talked incautiously of himself and of