others; a braver or a more
brilliant soldier never lived than he; but he blew his honest trumpet
rather more loudly than became a commander of his station, and, mighty man
of valour as he was, shook his great spear, and blustered before the army
too fiercely.

Mysterious Mr. Holtz went off on a secret expedition in the early part of
1708, with great elation of spirits, and a prophecy to Esmond that a
wonderful something was about to take place. This secret came out on my
friend's return to the army, whither he brought a most rueful and dejected
countenance, and owned that the great something he had been engaged upon
had failed utterly. He had been indeed with that luckless expedition of
the Chevalier de St. George, who was sent by the French king with ships
and an army from Dunkirk, and was to have invaded and conquered Scotland.
But that ill wind which ever opposed all the projects upon which the
prince ever embarked, prevented the Chevalier's invasion of Scotland, as
'tis known, and blew poor Monsieur von Holtz back into our camp again, to
scheme and foretell, and to pry about as usual. The Chevalier (the King of
England, as some of us held him) went from Dunkirk to the French army to
make the campaign against us. The Duke of Burgundy had the command this
year, having the Duke of Berry with him, and the famous Mareschal Vendosme
and the Duke of Matignon to aid him in the campaign. Holtz, who knew
everything that was passing in Flanders and France (and the Indies for
what I know), insisted that there would be no more fighting in 1708 than
there had been in the previous year, and that our commander had reasons
for keeping him quiet. Indeed, Esmond's general, who was known as a
grumbler, and to have a hearty mistrust of the great duke, and hundreds
more officers besides, did not scruple to say that these private reasons
came to the duke in the shape of crown-pieces from the French king, by
whom the generalissimo was bribed to avoid a battle. There were plenty of
men in our lines, quidnuncs, to whom Mr. Webb listened only too willingly,
who could specify the exact sums the duke got, how much fell to Cadogan's
share, and what was the precise fee given to Doctor Hare.

And the successes with which the French began the campaign of 1708, served
to give strength to these reports of treason, which were in everybody's
mouth. Our general allowed the enemy to get between us and Ghent, and
declined to attack him, though for eight-