The Sun.
London, England, 1823-07-28 00:00:00

The GREAT DUKE of MARLBOROUGH

The following Article has been extracted from a
Newspaper published a few years after the Death
of the Great. Duke of MARLBOROUGH. 'We
know not what authority the Paper had for as-
cribing the lines to Mr. Annisox

The CHARACTER of the late DUKE of MARLBOROUGH, as
drawn by Monsieur VOLTAIRE.

" That great man, (says he) who never laid siege to a town,
which he did not take, nor fought a bAttle which he did not
gain, was at St. James's a perfect courtier, the head of a party
in Parliament, and in foreign countries the most able negocia_
tor of his time. 11i3 did France as much mischief by his un-
derstanding as his arms; andltagad, Secretary of the States-
General, a man of very great merit, has been heard to say, that
more than once when their High Mightinesses had resolved to
come what the Duke of Marlborough was to lay before them,
"the-Duke came, and though he spoke to them in French, in
which language he expressed himself but ill, yet he brought
them all into his sentiments. _ _

" In conjunction with Prince Eugene, the companion of his
victories, and 'lamina, the grand pensione; of Holland, he
supported all the weight of the enterprizes of the Allies against
France. He knew that Charles XII., King of Sweden, was
exasperated against the Empire and the Emperor; that he was
secretly solicited by the French, and that if that conqueror
should join himself to Lewis XIV. the Allies would be undone.
" It is true. Charles had given his word in 1700 not to in-
termeddle in the war of Lewis XIV. with the Allies; but thi
Duke of Marlborough did not believe that any Prince would
be so great a slave to his sword as not to sacrifice it to his
grandeur and interest. He therefore set out from the Hague
with the design to sound the intentions of the King of Sweden.
" As soon as he was arrived at Leipsick, where Charles then
was, he applied himself secretly, not to Count Piper, the first
Minister, but to Baron Goerts, who begun- to share the King's
confidence with Piper. Ile told Goerts, that the design of the
Allies was very shortly to propose to the King of Sweden to be
a • second time mediator between them and France. He said
this in hopes of discovering by Goert's answer the King's inten-
tions, and because he chose much rathersto have Charles for an
arbitrator than an enemy. At last he had his public audience
at Leipsic. •
" Upon his first Address to the King, he told him in French
that he should think himself happy if he could be taught under
his command what he yet wanted to know in the art of war.—
He then had a private audience of an hour long, in which the
King spoke in German, and the Duke in French. The Duke,
who was never in haste to make propositions, and had learned,
by a long course of experience, the art of penetrating into the
sentiments of mankind, and finding out the secret connexions
between their inmost thoughts and their actions, gestaies, and
; discourse, fixed his eyes attentively upon the King.
" When he spoke to him of war in general, he thought he
perceived in his Majesty a natural aversion towards France,
and observed that he was pleased when he talked of the con-
quests of the Allies. He.mentioned the Czar to him, and took
notice that his eyes always kindled at his name, notwithstand-
ing the moderation of the conference ; and he further remarked
that a map of Muscovy lay before him upon the table. He
wanted no more to determine him in his judgment, that the real
design of the King of Sweden, anti his sole ambition, were to
dethrone the Czar, as he had already done,the King of Poland:
Ile understooti that he had no other views by continuing in
Saxony than to impose, by that means, certain hard laws upon
the Einperor of Germany ; but he knew that the Emperor
would comply with them, and' that thus-matters would be
:easily made up. He left Charles XII. to his natural inclina-
tion, and being satisfied with having discoVered his intentions,
he made` no kind of proposal.
" As, few negotiations (continues Voltaire) 'are Concluded
without money, and Ministers are sometimes seen to sell the
hatred or favour of their masters, it was believed throughout all
Europe that the Duke of Marlborough's success with the King
of Sweden was obtained by a large.sum"of Money, opportunely
given to'Count Piper, and the Count was reflected upon for it
to his dying day.
" For my own part (says our author), after having traced
this report to its source, I have been informed that Piper re-
ceived a small present front the Emperor, by the hands of
Count NVratislau, with the consent of the King, his master,
and nothing from the Duke of Marlborough.""
"This latter part of the extract is inserted only to make the
following reflection upon it, viz. that it is a surprising instance-
of the Duke of Marlborough's address and personal influence,
and great knowledge of mankind, if he could dive thus deeply,
I into -the sentiments of the King of Sweden, in the manner Mr.
Voltaire relates, without having first unlocked the hearts of
those about him with a golden key.'

' To. the above character of 'that great hero, You may add, if
yon please, the following beautiful address to the very same
man, but in a quite different light, when in the decline of life,.
and in a kind of reverie.
• As the words were composed by the late inimitable Mr. Ad.
dison, I no ways question but that the genendity of your read.
ers will think themselVes obliged to you for the publication of
so curious an amusement.'
On Ms late Grace the Duke of MArtratoßoutM,
stu Wall in Ms.
the
declinedeclineoflift, and dozing in a melancholy pore on
couch.
Awful Hero, Marlborough rise !
Sleepy charms I come to break ;
Hither turn thy languid eyes,
Lo ! thy Genius calls, awake !

Well survey this faithibl plan,
Which records thy life's great story ;
'Tis a short, but crowded, *an,
Full of triumph, full of glory.

One by one these deeds review,
Sieges, battles, thick appear ;
Former wonders, lost in new,
Greatly crowd welt pompous year.

This is Blenheim's crimson field,
Wet with gore, with slaughter stain'd ;
Here retiring squadrons yield,
And a bloody wreath is gain'd.

Think on these, while life may last,
The greatest bliss to man allow'd,
Is to trace his actions past,
And to find them great and good.

But thou'rt gone, 0 mortal born !
Swift thy transient scenes remove ;
Let them pass with noble scorn,
Thine are deeds which live above.

Poets, prophets, heroes, kings,
tby ripe approach foresee ;
len, who acted wondrous things,
Tho' none there are compar'd to thee.

` He had been so before at the Treaty of Ryswick.

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