Once，whenPrinceEugenewaswounded，ourDuketookhisHighness\'splaceinthetrenches;butthesiegewaswiththeImperialists，notwithus。AdivisionunderWebbandRantzauwasdetachedintoArtoisandPicardyuponthemostpainfulandodiousservicethatMr。Esmondeversawinthecourseofhismilitarylife。Thewretchedtownsofthedefencelessprovinces，whoseyoungmenhadbeendraftedawayintotheFrencharmies，whichyearafteryeartheinsatiablewardevoured，wereleftatourmercy;andourordersweretoshowthemnone。Wefoundplacesgarrisonedbyinvalids，andchildrenandwomen;poorastheywere，andasthecostsofthismiserablewarhadmadethem，ourcommissionwastorobthesealmoststarvingwretches——totearthefoodoutoftheirgranaries，andstripthemoftheirrags。\'Twasanexpeditionofrapineandmurderweweresenton:oursoldiersdiddeedssuchasanhonestmanmustblushtoremember。WebroughtbackmoneyandprovisionsinquantitytotheDuke\'scamp;therehadbeennoonetoresistus，andyetwhodarestotellwithwhatmurderandviolence，withwhatbrutalcruelty，outrage，insult，thatignoblebootyhadbeenravishedfromtheinnocentandmiserablevictimsofthewar？
Meanwhile，gallantlyastheoperationsbeforeLillehadbeenconducted，theAllieshadmadebutlittleprogress，and\'twassaidwhenwereturnedtotheDukeofMarlborough\'scamp，thatthesiegewouldneverbebroughttoasatisfactoryend，andthatthePrinceofSavoywouldbeforcedtoraiseit。MyLordMarlboroughgavethisashisopinionopenly;thosewhomistrustedhim，andMr。
Esmondownshimselftobeofthenumber，hintedthattheDukehadhisreasonswhyLilleshouldnotbetaken，andthathewaspaidtothatendbytheFrenchKing。Ifthiswasso，andIbelieveit，GeneralWebbhadnowaremarkableopportunityofgratifyinghishatredoftheCommander—in—Chief，ofbalkingthatshamefulavarice，whichwasoneofthebasestandmostnotoriousqualitiesofthefamousDuke，andofshowinghisownconsummateskillasacommander。AndwhenIconsiderallthecircumstancesprecedingtheeventwhichwillnowberelated，thatmyLordDukewasactuallyofferedcertainmillionsofcrownsprovidedthatthesiegeofLilleshouldberaised:thattheImperialarmybeforeitwaswithoutprovisionsandammunition，andmusthavedecampedbutforthesuppliesthattheyreceived;thatthemarchoftheconvoydestinedtorelievethesiegewasaccuratelyknowntotheFrench;andthattheforcecoveringitwasshamefullyinadequatetothatend，andbysixtimesinferiortoCountdelaMothe\'sarmy，whichwassenttointercepttheconvoy;when\'tiscertainthattheDukeofBerwick，DelaMothe\'schief，wasinconstantcorrespondencewithhisuncle，theEnglishGeneralissimo:Ibelieveonmyconsciencethat\'twasmyLordMarlborough\'sintentiontopreventthosesupplies，ofwhichthePrinceofSavoystoodinabsoluteneed，fromeverreachinghisHighness;thathemeanttosacrificethelittlearmywhichcoveredthisconvoy，andtobetrayitashehadbetrayedTollemacheatBrest;ashehadbetrayedeveryfriendhehad，tofurtherhisownschemesofavariceorambition。ButforthemiraculousvictorywhichEsmond\'sgeneralwonoveranarmysixorseventimesgreaterthanhisown，thesiegeofLillemusthavebeenraised;anditmustberememberedthatourgallantlittleforcewasunderthecommandofageneralwhomMarlboroughhated，thathewasfuriouswiththeconqueror，andtriedbythemostopenandshamelessinjusticeafterwardstorobhimofthecreditofhisvictory。
CHAPTERXV。
GENERALWEBBWINSTHEBATTLEOFWYNENDAEL。