Drums of War

'We must be circumspect, Your Grace.'

'Circumspection does not decide the outcome of a battle.'

'Perhaps not,' said Slangenberg, sternly, 'but it can reduce the number of potential casualties. Taking an army into battle without careful reconnaissance beforehand is both rash and dangerous.'

All the necessary steps have been taken, General.'

'I need to be absolutely certain of that.'

'Would you throw away the one chance we have of bringing Marshal Villeroi to battle? That's perverse.'

'We're pursuing a sensible course of action.'

'You're imperilling the whole strategy, General,' said Overkirk, irritably. 'His Grace devised a plan that bewildered the French and put them at our mercy. Had we attacked hours ago, we would surely have gained the upper hand by now.'

'That's idle speculation,' returned Slangenberg.

Daniel sat in silence while the argument continued and the minutes ticked by. Overkirk supported Marlborough but most of the Dutch generals and their field deputies were behind Slangenberg. Marlborough was compelled for once to abandon his normally diplomatic tone. He appealed to them with real passion.

'Gentlemen,' he began, looking around the blank Dutch faces, 'everything needful has been done. I have reconnoitred the ground and made dispositions for an attack. I am convinced that conscientiously, and as men of honour, we cannot now retire without an action. Should we neglect this opportunity, we must be responsible before God and man.' He heard the snort from Slangenberg and raised his voice. 'You see the confusion which pervades the ranks of the enemy and their embarrassment at our manoeuvres. I leave you to judge whether we should attack today or wait until tomorrow. It is indeed late, but you must consider that, by throwing up entrenchments during the night, the enemy will render their position far more difficult to force.'

Daniel was impressed with his ardour and conviction but it had not won over his allies. Some of the comments he heard in Dutch were not ones he cared to translate for the commander- in-chief. General Slangenberg and his supporters felt hurt that they had not been taken fully into Marlborough's confidence before they had set out on the expedition. The argument waxed and waned then waxed afresh. By the time it was four o'clock in the afternoon, all possibility of action that day had completely vanished. The French had been let off the hook. Afternoon merged into evening yet still the dispute went on. It was a revelation to Daniel, the first time he had had some insight into the immense difficulty of making decisions in a coalition army. His admiration for Marlborough soared. In spite of the huge pressure on him, never once did he lose his temper. At the end of the meeting, when the disgruntled Dutch contingent had withdrawn, Daniel went across to the commander-in-chief.

'You argued your case superbly, Your Grace,' he said.

Marlborough was despondent. 'I failed, Daniel.'

'You persuaded some of them. I heard them say as much.'

'There was animosity in the eyes of the rest of them. General Slangenberg was more obstructive than ever. What kind of a commander believes that his personal baggage is more important than an artillery train? By causing that delay, he wrecked the whole enterprise.'

'Perhaps they'll agree to an attack tomorrow,' said Daniel.

'There's not the slightest hope of that,' conceded Marlborough. 'If they're afraid to attack the enemy when it's at its weakest and most disordered, they'll not even consider action tomorrow. The French will be too well-fortified. No, Daniel,' he continued, 'the only option for us is to withdraw and let Marshal Villeroi claim a victory. The moment he sees us pull back, he'll write to King Louis to boast that he scared us into an ignominious retreat.'

'But that's not what happened at all.'

'That's how it will be portrayed at Versailles and we can do nothing to stop it. I know that you have Dutch blood in you,' said Marlborough, bitterly, 'and I hope you'll not take offence at my opinion of your fellow-countrymen.'

'I'm as much English as Dutch, Your Grace.'

'Then I speak to you as an Englishman because I know that you fight like one. The conduct of this war has nearly driven me insane.' Pursing his lips, he shook his head dejectedly. "There are times — and this is certainly one of them — when I'm forced to conclude that the Dutch, our allies, have caused us far more trouble than the French.'

Johannes Mytens was a big, fleshy man in his forties with heavy jowls that shook as he talked. As a member of the States-

General, the Dutch parliament, he had considerable influence and had garnered support both inside and outside the chamber. A wealthy man, he lived in a large house in the most fashionable quarter of The Hague. He was glad to welcome a visitor from Amsterdam that day. They sat either side of a walnut table in the sombre interior of the voorhuis.

'How is business, Willem?' asked Mytens.

'My business is thriving,' replied Willem Ketel, 'and it would thrive even more if we were not caught up in this damaging war. When roads are closed and enemy soldiers sit on our borders, merchants like me are hemmed in. When will it end? That's what I ask.'

'It's a question we often discuss in the chamber.'

'Are you any nearer to resolving the problem, Johannes?'

'No,' admitted the other.

'Then the war could drag on indefinitely.'

Mytens sighed. "There's every indication that it might.'

'What a sickening prospect!'

Ketel was an old friend of the politician's. Short, angular and now in his fifties, he had small darting eyes set in a wizened face. His wig covered a head that was bald and mottled. While Mytens chose relatively flamboyant attire, Ketel preferred dark clothing that gave him a clerical air. He had a habit of sucking his teeth before he spoke.

'Nothing of consequence was gained this year,' he said. 'We were all misled by the happy outcome at the battle of Blenheim.'

'It was happier for the Duke of Marlborough than it was for us, Willem,' observed Mytens. 'He claimed all the glory while we lost a large number of men.'

'He's never given our army any credit.'

'All that we ever get from him are complaints. After the retreat from the River Yssche, he had the gall to write to Heinsius to demand that General Slangenberg be dismissed.'

'What did the Grand Pensionary do?'

'He foolishly acceded to the demand.'

Ketel was outraged. 'He dismissed a man of the general's ability?'

'Slangenberg was persuaded to retire. That kept his reputation intact and pacified the Duke. In my view, Slangenberg would have made a better commander-in-chief.'

'We need someone to end the war not to continue it.'

'What's the feeling in Amsterdam?'

'We've always been less hostile to France than you here in The Hague. We see the advantages of trade with her. I used to export almost a third of my goods to Paris. What we need is a peace treaty.'

'The Duke will not hear of it.'

'That's because he puts British interests before ours, Johannes. The French are ready to parley. They have no wish for this war to go on. It's very costly and they've suffered heavy casualties. I believe that King Louis wants peace as much as we do.'

'On what terms, Willem — there's the rub!'

"They must be honourable terms that satisfy both sides.'

'There's no such thing. Someone must lose and someone gain.'

'End the fighting and we're all beneficiaries,' said Ketel, eyes blazing with certainty. 'I know that the Duke will not give in until France renounces its claim to the Spanish throne but that will never happen. It's pointless to hold out for something that can never be attained.'

'I felt at the start that it could be attained,' said Mytens, his jowls wobbling. 'The thought that France could annexe Spain and take control of its empire was terrifying. It would have a monopoly on trade in all those colonies.'