power into the hands of the parliament. The discussions
which took place on this act were marked by the utmost
virulence; and when the royal assent was withheld by the
queen's commissioner, the commotion almost rose to open
rebellion. An act for settling the succession in the House of
Hanover was rejected with contempt, and some of the more
violent even threatened to move for committing the earl of
Marchmont, who had proposed it, to the castle. The insti-
gators of these feuds appeared resolved to extort the assent
of the crown to the act of security, by withholding the sup-
plies, and the commissioner with difficulty succeeded in paci-
fying them, by relinquishing the right of the crown to make
peace or war, and promising that they should resume the
question in the ensuing session.

These feuds contributed to aggravate the embarrassments
which the treasurer and Marlborough encountered from the
machinations of contending parties in England; and their
correspondence is filled not only with complaints of the
difficulties which consequently occurred in the manage-
ment of domestic affairs, but of the injurious effects which
resulted to the confederacy abroad, and particularly of the
alarm, jealousy, and lukewarmness which were produced in
Holland.

AFTER this detail of the political feuds in which Marlbo-
rough was involved during the labours of an arduous
campaign, we resume the narrative of military operations.

On the failure of his brilliant designs to accelerate the
termination of the war, nothing remained but the compara-
tively inglorious task of reducing the petty garrisons which
clogged the navigation of the Meuse. Accordingly Huy was
invested on the 16th of August, and the trenches opened the
ensuing night. In a few days, the forts surrounding the
place were reduced; and batteries being raised against the

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