ontent do daily join the
Vivarois; and that their present body of men in arms consisted of six
thousand. This sudden insurrection has put the Court of France under
great difficulties; and the king has given orders, that the main body of
his troops in Spain shall withdraw into his own dominions, where they
are to be quartered in such countries as have of late discovered an
inclination to take up arms: the calamities of that kingdom being such,
that the people are not by any means to be kept in obedience, except by
the terror of military execution. What makes the distresses still
greater, is, that the Court begins to be doubtful of their troops, some
regiments in the action in the Cevennes having faced about against their
officers; and after the battle was over, joined the malcontents. Upon
receiving advice of this battle, the Duke of Berwick detached twelve
battalions into those parts, and began to add new works to his
entrenchments near Briancon, in order to defend his camp, after being
weakened by sending so great a reinforcement into the Cevennes. Letters
from Spain say, that the Duchess of Anjou was lately delivered of a
second son. They write from Madrid of the 25th of June, that the
blockade of Olivenza was continued; but acknowledge, that the late
provisions which were thrown into the place, make them doubt whether
they shall be masters of it this campaign; though it is at present so
closely blocked up, that it appears impracticable to send in any more
stores or succours. They are preparing with all expedition to repair the
fortifications of Alicante, for the security of the kingdom of Valencia.

[Footnote 392: It appears from Luttrell's "Brief Relation," that in Feb.
1707, Commissioners sat in the Exchequer Room at Westminster to try
whether Viscount Wenman, "aged 19, of L5000 per annum estate in
Oxfordshire," were an idiot or not. On the 14th February the Commission
was superseded. In June 1709, a new Commission passed the Great Seal for
inquiring into the Viscount's idiocy, and on July 29 they found that he
was no idiot. On July 12, Peter Wentworth wrote thus to Lord Raby: "The
prosecution of Lord Wainman is now order'd again, upon wch the _Tatler_
is to day; the accation I am told is this, that last year when there was
a stopt put to't 'twas upon the intercession lady Wainman the mother
made to the Queen, and that she designed to marry her son, the fool, to
Sir John Packington's daughter, 'twas then said th