Villa-Vicosa,
to assemble the troops in that neighbourhood, in order to disappoint his
designs.

Yesterday in the evening Captain Foxon, aide-de-camp to Major-General
Cadogan, arrived here express from the Duke of Marlborough. And this day
a mail is come in, with letters dated from Brussels of the 6th of May,
N.S., which advise, that the enemy had drawn together a body, consisting
of 20,000 men, with a design, as was supposed, to intercept the great
convoy on the march towards Lille, which was safely arrived at Menin and
Courtray, in its way to that place, the French having retired without
making any attempt.

We hear from the Hague, that a person of the first quality is arrived in
the Low Countries from France, in order to be a plenipotentiary in an
ensuing treaty of peace.

Letters from France acknowledge, that Monsieur Bernard has made no
higher offers of satisfaction to his creditors than of L35 per cent.

These advices add, that the Marshal Boufflers, Monsieur Torcy (who
distinguished himself formerly, by advising the Court of France to
adhere to the treaty of partition), and Monsieur d'Harcourt (who
negotiated with Cardinal Portocarrero for the succession of the crown of
Spain in the House of Bourbon), are all three joined in a commission for
a treaty of peace. The Marshal is come to Ghent: the other two are
arrived at the Hague.

It is confidently reported here that the Right Honourable the Lord
Townshend is to go with his Grace the Duke of Marlborough into
Holland.[162]

[Footnote 152: Congreve's first play, produced in 1693. See also No.
193. This piece is attacked in Jeremy Collier's "Short View of the
Profaneness and Immorality of the English Stage," 1698.]

[Footnote 153: Swift.]

[Footnote 154: A Scotch physician in the reigns of Charles I. and
Charles II. An advertisement of his "famous Scots Pills" requested the
public to beware of counterfeits, especially an ignorant pretender, one
Muffen, who kept a china-shop.]

[Footnote 155: "Henley would fain have me to go with Steele and Rowe,
&c., to an invitation at Sir William Read's. Surely you have heard of
him. He has been a mountebank, and is the Queen's oculist; he makes
admirable punch, and treats you in gold vessels. But I am engaged, and
won't go; neither indeed am I fond of the jaunt" (Swift's "Journal,"
April 11, 1711). Read was knighted in 1705, for services done in curing
soldiers and sailors of blindness gratis. Beginning life as a t