to augment the forces in Portugal, that Lord Galway might
detach 5000 or 6000 men into that country.

"I am of your opinion," he writes to Godolphin, "that our first trouble
must be for supplying King Charles in Catalonia, and Prince Eugene in
Italy, for which I am pressing the States to send more than 4000 men
into Italy, which I do not despair of obtaining. I am afraid it will be
impossible to get the Prussian troops to march back for Germany this
winter. I have written to Vienna, that they would lose no time in
sending some person of consideration to settle what may be necessary
with the king, so that those troops may be sure to return in time."

He arranged the treat with the elector palatine with his
usual address and secrecy. Convinced that if he demanded
the 10,000 men promised for the augmentation of the Italian
army, he should not succeed, he first prevailed on the Dutch
to consent to the march of 3000 Palatines, in the joint pay of
the maritime powers. He next obtained from the elector an
engagement for the service of 7000 men then employed in
Germany and the Netherlands. To these were to be joined
3000 troops of Saxe Gotha, in the pay of the maritime
powers, making a total of 10,000 men, of whom 4000 were
to march without delay. At the same time, however, to pre-
vent a diminution of the army in the Netherlands, he
secretly prevailed on the elector to supply an additional body
of 3000 men; and the arrangement was embodied in a treaty
concluded on the 6th of May. These forces were to be paid
by the maritime powers, in the same proportion as the other
auxiliaries; namely, two thirds by England and one by
Holland.

Marlborough also not only parried the pressing instances
of Buys for peace, but induced the Dutch government to
depute him to England, for the purpose of disavowing the
acceptance of any overture from France, and for maturing
the preparations and arrangements which were necessary
before the opening of the campaign. ^*

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