acknowledged by his own sovereign in a gratifying manner; he obtained the colonelcy of the first Foot Guards on the 27th December 1691.
In the year 1692, the French seem to have begun to meditate their scheme of detaching the Duke of Savoy from his allies by bribery. They had intended to make him feel their resentment. The necessity of approaching him with a different tone showed that his affairs were in a reputable posture. And this he owed mainly to Britain. With but slight deductions we may adopt Burnet’s statement:— “The Imperialists and the Spaniards made him great promises, in which they are never wanting when their affairs require it; yet they failed so totally in the performance, that if the king and the Dutch, who had promised him nothing, had not performed everything effectually, he must have become at once a prey to the French.” It is uncertain whether definite overtures were made by the French government this year; but forbearance was shown, and Catinat was left with a force sufficient only for the defence of former acquisitions. Luttrell informs iis that in July the Confederates declined the siege of Pignerol, and their army was divided into three parts, the major portion accompanying Schomberg in an irruption into Dauphiny.
This was, in fact, the main army, which was accompanied by the Duke of Savoy. The object was to carry the war into France itself, and to cause a rising of the French Protestants, who, though they were called New Converts or New Catholics in public documents, were still Protestant at heart. On the 29th of August 1692, the Duke of Schomberg issued a manifesto to this effect:— “His Britannic Majesty, in causing his troops to enter France, has no other aim but to restore the nobility and gentry to their ancient splendour, the parliaments to their pristine authority, and the people to their just privileges, the Established Clergy being also protected. The Kings of England being guarantees of the Edict of Nantes by the peace of Montpellier, and by several other treaties, the King, my master, thinks himself obliged to maintain the guaranty, and cause that edict to be revived.” (Issued at Embrun.)
All such irruptions must, according to ordinary probability, be failures. The people, however well affected to the invaders, cannot join the invading army until its success ensures protection to revolters from the existing government; and, at the same time, the people’s neutrality prevents the desired success. The mere withholding of friendship, on the part of the natives, is real opposition; and the visitors, whose friendship is visibly unappreciated, have to act very much like enemies. As to this invasion of France, there were many instances of success, and some government money and stores were taken. But an attack of small-pox upon the Duke of Savoy, which made his army bring him home, barely saved the exit from an appearance of defeat or disappointment, which the barren results of the entrance seemed to indicate. The best feature in the case was, that 200 French Protestants left France under the shelter of this army, because they had been convinced that it was wrong to conform to Romish worship, and that it was better “to expose themselves to beggary and contempt in foreign nations than to live in plenty and honour in their native land” on such terms.
On the army going into winter quarters, the Duke of Schomberg paid his last visit to his adopted country, and took his seat as a hereditary legislator in the House of Lords.
The campaign of 1693 was for a long time favourable to the Duke of Savoy. But unhappily he allowed himself to be drawn into a battle in the plains of Marsiglia, in October. This was contrary to the advice of the generals. The French by reinforcements had become superior in numbers, and it was their interest to fight in the plain. The Allies were progressing in the recapture of the fortresses of the kingdom. But in a pitched battle Duke Victor Amedeo was completely beaten. The only apparent apology was his love for fighting at the head of a large army. It has been supposed that he hoped, by a victory, to extort a better bargain from France in a secret treaty.
The Duke of Schomberg’s share in the narrative is a mournful one. Disapproving of the resolution for a battle, and also being passed over in the distribution of the chief posts of command, he resolved to fight simply as the Colonel of a regiment. The British forces, which were in the centre, particularly distinguished themselves, but were at last left exposed, their supports being routed. The Count de las Torres rode up to their leader, the Duke of Schomberg, and asked him to take command of the retreat. But Schomberg, who had been offended that the Count had been put over him in command, replied, “I must have His Royal Highness’s orders, and until I receive them I will bear the enemy’s fire. My opinion is, things have gone so far that we must either vanquish or die.” The brave remnant of the centre stood their ground with extraordinary resolution, but at last had to abandon the field.
