contre l'Empereur: le bruit même s'étoit répandu against the Emperor: the noise even against the Emperor: himself † was spread a rumour was even widely spread par-tout qu'il devoit se joindre à la France pour by-all that he tought himself to-join to the France that he was going to join accabler la maison d'Autriche. to-overwhelm the house of Austria. overwhelm the house of Austria. for France to Parmi tous ces Among all these Amid all these ambassadeurs vint le fameux Jean, duc de Marlcame the famous John, duke of Marlambassadors, came the celebrated John, duke of Marl ambassadors borough, de la part d'Anne, borough, from the part of Anne, borough, on the part of Anne, reine de la Grande queen of the Great queen of Great Bretagne. Cet homme, qui n'a jamais assiégé de adroit courtisan, dans le parlement un chef de parti, in the parliament a chief of. party, in parliament the leader of a party, expert courtier, adroit courtier, dans les pays in the countries in foreign de son siècle. of his century. of his age. On a entendu One has heard par son esprit que par ses armes. by his spirit as by his arms. by his talents as by his arms. M. Fagel, the dire au secrétaire des États-généraux, M. Fagel, to-say to-the secretary of-the States-general, M. Fagel, secretary of the States-general, a man of eminent merit, homme d'un très grand mérite, que plus d'une fois, merit, that more of one time, to say, that, more than man of a very great has been heard once, les États-généraux ayant résolu de s'opposer the States-general when the States-general à ce que having resolved of themselves to-oppose had resolved to resist que le Duc de Marlborough devoit leur to that which the Duke of Marlborough + ought to-them some proposal which the Duke of Marlborough had to make proposer, le Duc arrivoit, to-propose, the Duke † arrived, to them, the Duke arrived, langue dans laquelle il leur parloit en François, to-them † spoke in French, spoke to them in French, s'exprimoit très mal, et the-which he himselft expressed very ill, and which he expressed himself very Il soutenoit avec le Prince Eugène, compagnon companion He, together with Prince Eugene, the companion de ses victoires, et avec Heinsius, grand-pensionnaire poids des entreprises the weight of-the enterprises Holland, sustained the whole weight of the attacks des alliés contre la France. Il savoit que Charles He knew that Charles France. He knew that Charles étoit aigri contre l'Empire et contre l'Empereur; against the Empire and against the Emperor; was irritated against the Empire and against the Emperor; + was soured qu'il étoit sollicité secrètement par les François; et secretly by the French; and courted by the French; and the Fourteenth, the allies would be subdued. Il est vrai que Charles avoit donné sa parole, en + had given his word, in had given his word, in se mille sept cents, de ne mêler en rien de la. thousand seven hundreds, of not himself to-mix in nothing of the seventeen hundred, to take no part whatever in the eût un prince assez esclave de sa parole pour might-be a prince enough slave of his word for could be a prince so much the slave of his word, as ne la pas sacrifier à sa grandeur et à son intérêt. greatness not her * to-sacrifice to his and to his interest. not to sacrifice it to his aggrandizement or to his interest. Il partit donc de la Haye dans le dessein d'aller He departed then from the Hague in the design of to-go He therefore left the Hague with the design of going sonder les intentions du Roi de Suède. to-sound the intentions of-the King of Sweden. to sound the intentions of the King of Sweden. M. Fa M. FaM. Fa brice, qui étoit alors auprès de Charles Douze, bricius, who was then to-the-near of Charles bricius, who was then with Charles, Twelve, m'a assuré que le Duc de Marlborough, en in on his arrivant, s'adressa secrètement non pas au Comte arriving, himself addressed secretly not arrival, secretly addressed himself, not to-the Count to Count Piper, Piper, premier ministre, mais au Baron de Gortz, first minister, but to-the Baron of Gortz, Piper, the prime minister, but to Baron von Gortz, qui commençoit à partager avec Piper la confiance + began to to-partake with Piper the confidence began divide with Piper the confidence who who to du Roi. Il arriva of-the King. He arrived of the King. He even même dans le carrosse de ce even came in the carriage of this the Baron's carriage in Baron au quartier de Charles Douze, et il y eut Baron at-the quarter of Charles Twelve, to Charles's quarters, and it there had and there was des froideurs marquées entre lui et le chancelier of-the coldnesses marked between him and the chancellor marked coldness between him and the a Piper. Piper. Piper. chancellor Présenté ensuite par Piper, Presented afterwards by Piper, When he was afterwards presented by Piper, together avec Robinson, ministre d'Angleterre, il parla with Robinson, minister with Robinson, the English of England, he spoke minister, he spoke au Roi en François; il lui dit, "qu'il s'estime teem himself happy to have an opportunity of learning under + knew-not of the art of the his orders whatever he was as yet ignorant of, in the art of guerre. Le Roi ne répondit à ce compliment war." war." The King not answered to this compliment par aucune civilité, et parut oublier que c'étoit guerrier. La conversation fut fatigante et générale, The conversation was fatiguing and general, The conversation was tedious and general, warlike. tial air. Charles Charles Douze s'exprimant en Suédois, et Twelve himself expressing in Swedish, and Charles the Twelfth expressing himself in Swedish, and Robinson servant d'interprète. Marlborough, qui of interpreter. Robinson serving Marlborough, who Marlborough, who 'ne se hâtoit 1 jamais de faire ses propositions, et propositions, and proposals, and never hasty in making qui avoit par une longue habitude 1 who + had by long a long habit had acquis l'art de acquired the art of acquired the art of pénétrer les rapports to-penetrate the reports discovering the connexion pensées, leurs qui sont entre leurs plus secrètes secret which are . between their most thoughts, their existing between their most secret thoughts, their actions, leurs gestes, leurs discours, étudia attenactions, their gestures, their discourses, studied attenactions, gestures, and conversation, studied the tivement le Roi. En lui parlant de guerre en tively the King. In to-him King attentively. While talking to him general, he thought he perceived in Charles the Twelfth une aversion naturelle pour la France; il remarqua .an aversion natural for the France; he remarked an instinctive aversion to. France; he remarked 2 s VOL, I. |